• Greenergy has announced that they will invest in Front End Engineering Design (FEED) of a project to produce low-carbon transportation fuels from waste tires.
• In the first phase, the planned facility will process up to 300 tons of shredded tires each day to produce low-carbon, low-sulfur drop-in fuels that can be blended into diesel and gasoline. A second hydrotreating unit will have the capacity to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Topsoe’s proven HydroFlex™ technology has been chosen for hydroprocessing in both units.

An estimated 1.5 billion tires are discarded each year worldwide, creating significant waste. This project will be the first of its kind to use waste tires as feedstock for low-carbon, low-sulfur fuel production. The tires will be pyrolyzed to produce pyrolysis oil that can be catalytically converted into fuel using Topsoe’s HydroFlex™ technology.

The process also recovers carbon black that can be reused in the circular economy for the production of new tires and other industrial rubber products.

The facility will also have the optionality to include an independent plant that could produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This plant will also use the HydroFlex™ technology.

“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,” says Christian Flach, CEO of Greenergy.

The plant is earmarked to be located at Thames Enterprise Park, subject to planning approval and with a view to commence commercial production in 2025.

“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,” says Fei Chen, SVP Clean Fuels & Chemicals Technology, Haldor Topsoe.