End-of-life tyres (ELTs) recycler Pyrum Innovations is taking the next step in its cooperation with auto maker Mercedes-Benz AG. In future, the company will recycle several hundred tonnes of used tyres from the Mercedes-Benz Used Parts Centre every year.
The company produces pyrolysis oil from the ELTs using its own process. The pyrolysis oil produced is then supplied to its German
cooperation partner BASF SE, which uses the oil as a raw material in combination with biomethane in the production of virgin plastics for the manufacture of Mercedes-Benz vehicle components.
Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations AG: “We are very pleased to take the next step in our cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. Through the chemical recycling of end-of-life tyres from Mercedes-Benz vehicles, we can jointly reduce the use of
fossil resources and ultimately close material cycles.” The used tyres are delivered from the Mercedes-Benz Used Parts Centre and
disposed of at Pyrum’s main plant in Dillingen.
Pyrum has already been supplying pyrolysis oil to BASF since last year. BASF then feeds this into its Verbund together with biomethane from agricultural waste at the start of production and uses it to produce a virgin plastic that is certified according to the so-called “mass balance process”.
Since last year, the first series-production models such as the EQE and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class have been equipped with door handles. Furthermore, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class will receive a crash absorber made from the recycled plastic material. Additional possible applications of the innovative recycled material are being explored.
Meanwhile in related news, Pyrum has signed a contract with premium tyre manufacturer Continental for the supply of recovered carbon black (rCB).
With the conclusion of the contract, there are now long-term serial supply contracts for all of Pyrum’s core products, in addition to the contract for the supply of pyrolysis oil to BASF.
Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations AG: “The long-term supply contract is a huge step for our company. We have now concluded serial supply contracts for all core products. As with our pyrolysis oil, the demand for our rCB is much greater than we can currently meet. Therefore, we will expand our production capacities in the next few years and expect to triple our capacities already this year with the commissioning of production lines II and III at our site in Dillingen. Potential partners and interested parties now have the certainty that both end products – oil and rCB – have a market that will buy the products. This is the final component to start rolling out the plants in large-scale production.”
The contract with Continental follows the joint development agreement that has already been in place for a year, the aim of which is, among other things, to further optimise and expand the recycling of used tyres through pyrolysis.
Since then, Pyrum has proven in various audits to meet basic automotive industry standards and, for example, recently received ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system.
In addition, Continental has already held a strategic minority stake in Pyrum since its IPO in 2021. In the long term, Pyrum and Continental are aiming for a circular economy concept for the recycling of end-of-life tyres in order to reduce the use of fossil raw materials as well as CO2 emissions in the production and recycling of tyres.