According to an online-magazine Bioenergy International, a UK-headquartered mid-stream oil company Greenergy International Ltd (Greenergy) has announced its “continued commitment” to renewables through investment in advanced biofuels. Using a combination of existing technologies, Grenergy’s project will be located at Thames Enterprise Park, a Greenergy joint venture near London, and will create low carbon fuels from end-of-life tire feedstock.

Needless to say that globally, an estimated 1.5 billion end-of-life tires are discarded annually. The materials used in stockpiles tires can and must be recycled and used as feedstock in the production of low-carbon, low-sulfur fuel using top-notch pyrolysis technologies.

According to company’s statement, the project, the investment value of which has not been disclosed, will utilize pyrolysis and hydrotreating technologies to convert end-of-life tires into renewable drop-in advanced biofuels that can be used in diesel and petrol and qualify as development fuels under the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RFTO).

The plant, which will also have the capacity to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), is earmarked to be located at Thames Enterprise Park, a Greenergy joint venture near London, subject to planning approval and with a view to commencing commercial production in 2025.

The magazine says the conceptual design was developed in Canada by Green Tire Technology Ltd, led by Roman Cintula, and then implemented in the UK in partnership with Greenergy.

“We have been exploring innovative ways to produce liquid fuels from different waste products to continue to create new forms of development fuels and deliver further carbon savings in the years ahead. This milestone for the project is a key part of our strategy to expand our industry-leading renewables business. Our customers will continue to benefit from our integrated approach to manufacturing and blending of renewable fuels,” said Christian Flach, CEO of Greenergy.

As reported by Bioenergy International, the project is currently at the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) stage and when complete, the project will help to address the UK’s end-of-life tire challenge and meet the growing demand for innovative waste-based fuels under the UK’s RFTO.

It is expected that at its first phase, the tire pyrolysis plant will process up to 300 tons of shredded tires per day to produce low-carbon, low-sulfur drop-in fuels that can be blended into diesel and gasoline. The manufacturing process also creates recovered carbon black, a product that can be used in the circular economy to produce new tires and other industrial rubber products. Reportedly, the project will use Thyssen Krupp Industrial Solutions’ advanced thermal treatment technology to produce pyrolysis oil that can be catalytically converted into fuel using Haldor Topsoe’s HydroFlex renewable fuels technology.

The facility will also have the optionality to include an independent plant that could produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As reported, the pyrolysis plant will also use Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology.

“We are very happy that Greenergy has selected Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology for this innovative project. We are excited to work closely with Greenergy and their partners to build the world’s first commercial plant to produce low-carbon transportation fuels from waste tires in the near future. This is very much in line with Topsoe’s vision to be recognized as the global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies by 2024,” said Fei Chen, SVP Clean Fuels & Chemicals Technology, Haldor Topsoe.