Norwegian waste tyre recycling company, Wastefront has announced a strategic partnership with leading global energy storage infrastructure provider VTTI.
The partnership
The partnership will take two initial forms. Firstly, it includes an investment of $43 million from VTTI. It will be used in the construction of the first phase of Wastefront’s plant in Sunderland. Secondly, site selection surveys to be conducted to determine eight jointly owned VTTI-Wastefront plants at which Wastefront’s solution will be implemented, and which will be operated by VTTI.
With this partnership, the Norwegian company will expedite deployment with VTTI’s industry-leading expertise, existing global footprint, and terminal locations.
VTTI is one of the world’s largest independent energy storage infrastructure providers with key locations around the world. The investment in Wastefront and planned investments in future plants are part of VTTI’s global growth strategy in which circular products are an important pillar, with an ambition to conduct more than 50% of its activities in new and transitional energy sources by 2028.
Vianney Vales, Wastefront CEO, commented: “Our mission to create a Green Global Industrial Platform to solve the end-of-life tyre problem, requires buy-in from major industrial companies. VTTI is a leading infrastructure company with a clear mission to grow in the energy transition and I am delighted to announce our partnership. This is the first time that our Wastefront Blueprint solution for circularity will be licensed on a global stage. VTTI has opted to go a step further and not just deploy our solution but also invest in Wastefront and in future plants. The investment will immediately enable us to scale our work at the Port of Sunderland, and to grow our market reach with the development of eight plants at VTTI sites worldwide.”
Guy Moeyens, VTTI CEO, added: “We are pleased to enter into a strategic partnership with Wastefront on this exciting journey to jointly develop tyre recycling plants at our locations around the globe. We are looking forward to working together with Wastefront in making this important contribution to the circular economy. Wastefront is a complementary partner of VTTI that brings in a fully developed and technologically proven tyre recycling offering, an experienced team, an extensive network in feedstock markets and recognition from tyre manufacturers. Our combined efforts will be able to turn a current large and growing global waste problem into products like pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black, which are highly sought after in the ongoing energy transition.”
Specialises in waste tyre recycling
Founded in 2019 in Oslo by Vegard Bringsjord, Christian A. Hvamstad, and Inge Berge, Wastefront aims to reduce the negative environmental impact associated with end-of-life-tyres (ELTs) waste while delivering an economically attractive solution to strategic partners on a global scale. combines commercial technology with its own proprietary process to minimise the environmental impact typically associated with traditional tyre pyrolysis, with a circular process.
The first commercial plant in Sunderland will be built in two phases. At full capacity, the facility will process 83,000 metric tonnes of ELTs annually and convert them into useful commodities, including biofuels, recycled steel, and recovered carbon black. This will set the standard for future plants using the Wastefront Blueprint licence.
How does it recycle tyres?
Wastefront uses pyrolytic reactors that utilise thermal depolymerisation known as pyrolysis to break down a tyre’s materials at elevated temperatures. By sending tyres through these reactors, carbon black is produced, in addition to combustible gas, liquid hydrocarbon (pyrolysis oil), and heat. The carbon black is then washed and milled to upgrade the chemical properties and used as a reinforcement for natural rubber in tyre production, mechanical rubber goods, or as a filler for plastics, under precise formulations defined with customers.
