SSH embarking on £75 million Renfewshire, Scotland tyre processing plant project

SSH Recycling Ltd has submitted a planning pre-application to Renfrewshire council in a bid to build a tyre devulcanization and processing plant in Linwood, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

The project is what the company describes as “the first of its kind in the UK” and is intended to “solve the entirety of Scotland’s waste tyre problem, using revolutionary new technology to recycle or reuse every component part of the tyre”. However, SSH’s process will support the devulcanisation of treated rubber in order to create synthetic rubber sheet, conveyor belts, shoe soles or rubber mats.

In total, SSH expects that 11.6 million commercial and passenger tyres will pass through the processing plant each year, which equates to roughly a third of the UK’s annual tyre consumption. It is estimated this will save more than 190,000 tonnes of carbon from being emitted into the atmosphere every year, helping Scotland to drastically cut its carbon emissions and reach its goal of becoming a Zero Waste Nation.

In keeping with their Environmental Goals, SSH Recycling have opted to use state of the art micro turbines for power and heat generation. These represent a watershed energy management solution, addressing the need to preserve the environment through near-zero emissions.

The scheme is also expected to bring over 100 FTE construction and processing jobs to the local area, with a total investment of £75 million for the West of Scotland.

The next phase of proceedings is a consultation process, which includes to particular key events – a telephone conference call on 3 March and a virtual town hall event on 6 March 2021 as well as an open invitation for community feedback. The consultation will end on 29 March 2021 after which we will take into account all the feedback from the public, and a full planning application will be made.

Robert Keay, the director of operations at SSH Recycling Ltd (Photo: SSH Recycling)

Robert Keay, director of Operations, at SSH Recycling said: “We are hugely excited to be submitting plans to build this tyre processing plant in Linwood, which if successful will bring over 100 new jobs to the area at a time of high unemployment and economic uncertainty as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“In Scotland, over 100 tyres are turned into waste every 15 minutes, creating a waste tyre problem that can lead to both legal and illegal dumping of tyres, and the exportation tyres to be burned abroad at a significant carbon cost. Our proposed processing plant will solve this problem, using a ground-breaking system that will see every part of the waste tyre broken down to be recycled or reused. We are looking forward to playing a leading role in helping Scotland’s circular economy thrive, while protecting the environment and driving the country towards being a Zero Waste Nation”.

As well as heading up the recycling plant bid, Robert Keay is also a current director at SSH Recycling’s partner company, Caledonian Tyres – one of the leading retread suppliers in the UK, and the appointed Franchise Partner for Bandag in Scotland. He joined the company as a driver in 2005 and rose to become managing director in 2017.