VORONEZH, January 30 (RIA Novosti) – Italian tire manufacturing giant has launched its second tire production line at its Voronezh facility in southwest Russia, the company said on Wednesday.

The production line will operate in a test mode until March when it will start producing rubber mixtures for premium-class tires.

“We’ll focus our attention on hi-tech tires, especially winter tires and tires for off-road vehicles,” Pirelli Tire Russia Director Carlo Costa said at the launch ceremony.

Pirelli operates in Russia in a joint venture with Russian Technologies hi-tech corporation, which was established in 2011 and comprises the Kirov Tire Plant in central Russia and the Voronezh Tire Plant.

Pirelli’s investment in the Voronezh Tire Plant will total 100 million euros by 2014, with 56 million euros previously invested before 2012. Another 100 million euros will be invested in the Kirov Tire Plant.

Pirelli expects to boost production at its Voronezh and Kirov facilities to 10.5 million tires annually by 2015. Currently, the Voronezh Plant's first production line has an annual capacity of 2 million tires, which will be doubled by 2014.

“We expect to complete full modernization of the plants by 2015,” Pirelli head Marco Tronchetti said.

The joint venture also intends to sell part of its output to the EU countries.