Scandinavian firm Enviro’s pyrolysis technology has found a market in the North American market. The company currently has active MOUs with three different tyre recyclers, Treadcraft Ltd and EE-TDF Cleveland respectively, and one in Canada with ArticCan. It also has ongoing discussions with additional interested parties, in the states of New York and Texas where recycling plants are planned to be built.
Enviro is developing plants for material recovery from End of Life Tyres (ELT). The company has developed a process, based on a patented technology, where gas generated in the process is heating the tyres in absence of oxygen. This enables the materials in the tyres to decompose and be recovered instead of incinerated. Thus, a sustainable recovery of the resources carbon black, oil, steel and gas is obtained. The products are used in new products, replacing fossil resources to help the customers reach their sustainability targets. Enviro was founded in 2001, has its head office in Gothenburg and runs its own plant for ELT tyres in Åsensbruk, Sweden.
“There are several reasons why we are more active than ever in North America. The market’s need for carbon black is expected to increase as the establishment of virgin production is becoming increasingly difficult due to stricter regulations and penalties, implemented to overcome the environmental problems created by the existing carbon black production”, says CEO Thomas Sörensson.
He went on to say, “The US projects are progressing as planned. They’ve both been looking for several years for a partner to implement a plant project with, and chose us due to our patented pyrolysis technology, a well-prepared Basic Design and proven commercialization of high and stable quality rCB.”
He also added that in Canada, the market players have adopted a “wait-and-see attitude” with respect to their newly introduced manufacturer liability legislation in Ontario and how it will impact them in practice.
Many existing plants in North America have been forced to invest major sums in emissions purification and ordered to pay fines for failure to comply with those requirements. This, in combination with the materials deficit, has driven up prices for carbon black – and that creates openings for alternatives such as recycled carbon black to gain market shares more quickly.
“This development also means that carbon black is decoupled from oil prices and made less sensitive to lower oil prices. We are expecting the price floor to be higher than before, which benefits the profitability of recycled material. After all, our raw material costs are low, and in many cases, our materials even generate revenue,” continued Thomas.
In addition to the three active MoUs, there’s potential for additional partnerships in the region. One example is a potential plant project in Maryland, an experienced tyre recycler who previously worked on a plant project based on another technology but is now considering moving forward with Enviro instead.