Circtec builds the world's largest tire recycling plant

Circtec has developed a technology for the chemical recycling of car tires. “We chemically break down the tire (at a high temperature, ed.). We crush the rubber into smaller molecules that evaporate and largely condense again,” says Pieter ter Haar, director of sustainable carbonaceous materials at Circtec. After recycling, the many chemical substances from a tire can be reused as raw materials for new car tires and renewable biofuel, for example.

Every year, some 3.5 million car tires end up in the trash in Europe. “Currently, car tires are being processed into granulate for playing fields, among other things, but that will no longer be allowed in Europe in a few years,” he says. He also points out that many of our waste tires are burned to produce cement. In addition, many European tires are shipped to countries such as India, where they are burned and processed without regard for the environment, public health, or CO₂ emissions. “We have a responsibility to turn our waste products into new raw materials and valuable products and not to pollute other parts of the world with our waste and its unregulated incineration.”

Different industries

Circtec is working hard on this. The company makes naphtha from some of the rubber in car tires. This substance can be used as a raw material for synthetic rubber and plastics production. HUPA, an advanced biofuel for ships, is made from another part of the rubber. Carbon black – a raw material in car tires that strengthens the rubber and gives it its black color – can also be reused after recycling. “We take care of tire recycling from the moment they come off a car until the various new chemical products are produced. That makes us unique compared to our competitors,” says Ter Haar.

Scaling up

Circtec already has factories in Poland and Germany that recycle tires on a smaller scale. The factory in Groningen will be the first large-scale facility. The factory will process approximately 20 million (200,000 tons) of waste tires annually, which is 6% of all tires wasted in Europe annually. “So we can make an impact on the chemical industry.”

The company has already found buyers for all recycled products for the coming years. “We are working with BP, among others,” says Ter Haar. The supply of tires has also been secured: Circtec has acquired Granuband, a tire collection and recycling company in the port of Amsterdam.

Making an impact

The company, which has existed for over fifteen years, has thought the process through very carefully. “But using a new technology on such a large scale is always a challenge. We are going to supply the market with relevant volumes. I am very excited to see the impact of our recycled products on achieving the sustainability goals set by the tire industry.”

Ter Haar is determined to make an impact by making the chemical industry more sustainable. “With the new factory, we contribute to both the energy and material transition. The factory will offset about 3% of the CO₂ emissions of the Dutch chemical industry.”