Green Distillation Technologies (GDT), an Australian tyre recycling company, has secured US backing for its world-first tyre recycling technology that produces “high-value oil, carbon and steel from end-of-life (EOL) tyres, in demand by world markets at promising market prices.” GDT’s original agreement with a US tyre recycling company provided for ten tyre recycling facilities across the US, but will now be increased to fifteen with construction of three plants ones to commence as soon as Government approvals are obtained.
GDT’s Chief Operating Officer Trevor Bayley, elaborates, “Every plant we build, with six modules operating round-the-clock, will process a mix of 19,000 tonnes of EOL tyres annually. Each typical 10 kg car tyre will yield 4 litres of oil, 4kg of carbon and 2kg of steel; a 70kg truck tyre will provide 27 litres of oil, 28 kg of carbon and 15 kg of steel; and 4 tonne mining dump truck tyre will yield 1.6 tonnes of carbon, 0.8 tonne of steel and 1500 litres of oil.
“Each plant is expected to need a permanent workforce of fifteen and require more people during the construction phase and to collect and deliver the tyres to the plant.”
GDT said that although the cost was in the vicinity of US$150 million, the company has yet to consider “different variables” in terms of the cost of obtaining key components for each the plant locally, site selection and so on.
“Our policy is for the joint venture company to construct the plant at cost as we want to maintain our interest in the plant and provide ongoing input to future operations and also be able to implement new technology improvements as our research and development discovers new ways of improving our performance,” Bayley said.
The US has a significant waste tyre disposal problem and generates at least 250 to 300 million EOL tyres a year; the number of EOL tyres is also increasing fast in India and China – the world total of EOL tyres generated each year is in excess of one and a half billion.
“In light of this burgeoning environmental disposal problem, our approach provides a recycling solution as we turn a world problem into valuable and saleable materials – we believe that in time our technology will become the preferred means of recycling EOL tyres throughout the world.”
Besides the US, GDT’s unique tyre recycling process has resulted in a recent Memorandum of Understanding for five processing plants in South Africa valued at more than AUD$50 million (US$31.67 million). GDT has also welcomed visitors to its original plant in Warren, Western New South Wales, from almost every country on the planet including Japan, Thailand, Canada, the Middle East, Pakistan and India, to name a few.