Enviro takes more strides toward circularity

Scandinavian Enviro Systems A.B. has announced its successful commercialization and industrialization of patented technology that can be used to recover valuable raw goods from end-of-life tires.

Enviro is a developer of technology that reduces waste while finding positive use of raw materials and products in the tire and fuel industries. Its solutions largely support rubber manufacturers in those areas, as well as the automotive, aerospace and other transportation markets. Those solutions are designed to support cost savings of such materials which benefits the environment, the economy and surrounding society.

To this end, Enviro has achieved ISCC certification for recovered carbon black and pyrolysis oil, received an environmental permit application for the future recycling plant in Uddevalla and plans to open a recycling plant in Chile with Michelin, one of its largest clients. The project was announced in February 2021 with the facility originally set to come on stream sometime in 2023.

The company established a goal of recovering 900,000 tons of end-of-life tires by 2030 through efficient planning and execution on modular concepts. Enviro's patented technology will be implemented in Chile as a joint venture with Michelin, and the company is hiring management and other positions for the facility. Enviro's expansion also includes the establishment of a new recycling plant in West Sweden.

Back in November Enviro Systems received a recovered tire pyrolysis oil order worth nearly $187,000 from Preem, Sweden's largest petroleum and biofuel company. The oil was expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2023 and used for testing its suitability in the biofuel production process. Preem's refinery in Lysekil, Sweden, was granted a permit to conduct these tire pyrolysis oil tests. This oil will be produced at Enviro's plant in the city of Asensbruk, where Enviro extracts oil from end-of-life vehicle tires using a proprietary process.

Pyrolysis oil contains a high percentage of renewable material due to the high amounts of natural rubber found in vehicle tires, according to Enviro. This feature makes it extremely suitable for producing environmentally sustainable biofuel.

Pyrolysis is the industrial process of breaking down large molecules of plastic/tire into smaller molecules of oil, gas and carbon black. Pyrolysis oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, and it is one of the useful fractions obtained from the pyrolysis of waste tires. As a result of its high energy density (HHV ∼ 43 MJ/kg), tire pyrolysis oils' use as a fuel in combustion systems is a promising approach for numerous industries and sustainable practices in general.

When handled effectively, tire pyrolysis can be one of the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective waste treatment technologies for processing recyclables, obtaining valuable materials and producing electricity, according to Enviro. The company said late last year that a subsidiary of a leading U.S.-based oil company has carried out successful production tests of Enviro's tire pyrolysis oil, indicating the likelihood of future use.

Enviro is aiming to reduce carbon emissions and increase the circular use of valuable raw materials using tire pyrolysis oil. The latest report from the United Nation's climate panel and the subsequent COP26 climate meeting were a dramatic reminder to the world of the need for immediate measures within a variety of areas, the company stated in a release.

Some of the world's largest tire manufacturers have announced ambitious targets for improving their sustainability. At a recently arranged international conference on recovered carbon black in Amsterdam, Michelin and Bridgestone said that they intend to advocate for making the tire industry more environmentally sustainable through actively focusing on a broadened and significant use of recovered carbon black.

In a joint presentation, both manufacturers reiterated plans to be entirely carbon-neutral by 2050 and that by the same year they intend to have 100-percent sustainable materials in their tires.

Nearly two years ago Michelin set a goal that all of its tires would be entirely made from renewable, recycled, bio-sourced "or otherwise sustainable" materials by 2050, working in conjunction with Enviro and other partners.

Bridgestone also announced a partnership back in 2021 with synthetic rubber producer Arlanxeo and chemicals company Solvay to launch a new co-developed tire technology designed to boost environmental performance.

In November, Michelin and Bridgestone jointly announced they would have an expected demand for up to 1 million tons of recovered carbon black in 2030.

Enviro achieved its sustainability certification from International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) in fall 2022 for both carbon black and oil. It became the first organization in the world to certify its carbon black according to ISCC EU and ISCC Plus requirements.