A Norwegian tyre waste recycling company has announced its first plant will be located in the UK and is currently assessing sites, with a view to commencing construction in the near future.
Wastefront converts disused tyres into ‘useful commodities’, including liquid hydrocarbons and carbon black, which can then be reutilised in processes such as alternative fuel or ground rubber manufacturing.
Wastefront recently received funding from the Norwegian state-owned company and national development bank, Innovation Norway.
The company also announced its appointment of former oil and gas exec, Maria Moræus Hanssen, as its Chairperson of the Board.
For many years, end-of-life tyres have represented a problem for which there have been no long-term solutions available that combine innovation with economic viability
The company’s plant will be the first to combine conventional technology with Wastefront’s own proprietary technology, which aims to minimise the environmental impact typically associated with traditional tyre pyrolysis, and make the UK plant the ‘greenest’ of its kind.
The investment required to construct the plant will be between £20-30 million. The construction is estimated to create around 100 jobs and once the plant is fully up and running it will employ 20-30 people full time.
Maria Moræus Hanssen comments: “I’m excited to join Wastefront and help address the global issue of unsustainable tyre waste.
“For many years, end-of-life tyres have represented a problem for which there have been no long-term solutions available that combine innovation with economic viability.
“I am confident that the founders have assembled a team that can make an valuable contribution to a cleaner future by dealing with this specific waste problem, where end-of-life tyres no longer end up in landfills.
“An important element in bringing about circular economies and sustainable waste handling is to handle waste locally. The UK is a global centre 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.”