Kal Tire reports that a full start-up is imminent at its new off-the-road (OTR) tyre recycling facility in Antofagasta, Chile. One of two thermal conversion reactors has completed commissioning and is now undergoing full load tests to process 20,000 kg of tyres, the equivalent of five 63-inch tyres. Commissioning of the facility’s second reactor is nearly complete and full production in sight.
Mark Berry has joined the board of sustainable hydrogen company Powerhouse Energy Group as a non-executive director. A partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. Berry specialises in financing energy, infrastructure and process engineering projects. He has particular expertise in the waste to energy (including materials recovery and fuel recovery from waste), transport and mining sectors.
Engineering group Andritz has opened a new 3,600m2 test and research centre for the recycling industry in St. Michael, Upper Styria, Austria. The group, which supplies plant machinery for recovering energy and materials from tyres and auto parts among other waste streams, is to expand its research and development activities with the new facility. It will collaborate closely with the University of Leoben at the Andritz Recycling Technology Center (ART-Center), though the ART-Center is available to customers and researchers from around the world. The facility is equipped with innovative shredder technology from the company’s ADuro product line, used for primary and secondary shredding as well as fine granulation and dismantling of composite materials. This enables customers to conduct recycling tests under real plant conditions with industrial-scale equipment.
2G BioPOWER, the UK market representative of Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro), has been granted UK state funding to investigate the possibilities for the “large-scale introduction” of its end-of-life tyre recovery technology into the country. The study’s objectives include investigating the recovery of oil and carbon black from domestic end-of-life tyres. The news follows growing interest in the UK’s ELT processing operations in 2020, particularly driven by advanced pyrolysis processes. Tyrepress discusses more on the UK tyre recovery in Session 4 of the virtual Tyre Industry Conference here. The equivalent of 2.5 million Swedish krona (approximately £220,000) has been granted for the study.
Synthetic rubber and plastics manufacturer Trinseo has reached definitive agreements with Swiss sustainable tyre recycling specialist Tyre Recycling Solutions (TRS) on a commercial collaboration and an equity investment in TRS. The transaction is expected to close later this quarter, subject to ordinary closing conditions.
After almost 20 years with Conica, the company’s operations director, John Bramwell, is retiring at the end of October. Commenting on his retirement, company representatives said Bramwell “has been a fundamental part of everything the company has achieved and will leave Conica with one of the best truck tyre recycling plants anywhere in the world.” In addition to his leadership role at Conica, Bramwell also represented the industry in a number of roles, including as a director of the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA).
Powerhouse Energy Group
Andritz
Enviro
Conica