Private Norwegian company Wastefront is to build its first tyre recycling plant in the UK – the plant will convert scrap tyres into liquid hydrocarbons and carbon black through “a proprietary process,” which can then be used as alternative fuel or ground rubber for manufacturing. Wastefront has received funding from the national development bank, Innovation Norway, for construction in the near future.
Wastefront also announced Maria Moræus Hanssen, former deputy CEO and COO at oil and gas company, Wintershall DEA, as its new board chairperson.“I’m excited to join Wastefront and help address the global issue of unsustainable tyre waste,” Hanssen said. “An important element in bringing about circular economies and sustainable waste handling is to handle waste locally. The UK is a global center of industry, which makes it an ideal location for our first plant. The plan is to then expand across Europe as the technical solution and business concept continuously evolves.”
Wastefront’s pyrolysis process breaks down tyres at elevated temperatures to produce a combustible gasin addition to liquid hydrocarbon, carbon black and heat.The liquid hydrocarbon undergoes a refining process as a means of improving quality and performance. The carbon black is first washed and milled to upgrade its chemical properties, and can then be used as a complement to natural rubber in tyre production and mechanical rubber goods or as filler for plastics.
Meanwhile, the combustible gas is circled back in to fuel the furnace and the generated heat repurposed locally to heat residential homes.