Black Bear advances rCB technology rollout

Dusseldorf, Germany – German EPC contractor MMEC Mannesmann and Dutch cleantech company Black Bear have entered into a strategic partnership to accelerate the rollout of Black Bear’s tire recycling technology.

As part of the partnership MMEC will carry out the detailed engineering, procurement and construction of Black Bear’s 'tire-to-carbon-black' facilities, the Dutch company announced 7 May.

The initial focus, said Black Bear, will be on already-identified sites together with partners inside Europe.

Given MMEC’s strong presence in the Middle East, this region will also be on the map for Black Bear facilities in the future.

Based in Nederweert, The Netherlands, Black Bear has developed a technology with a unique carbonisation process to produce recycled carbon black (rCB) from end-of-life tires.

In a series of fund-raising rounds last year, Black Bear announced ambitious plans to scale up its technology by setting up tire recovery plants in Europe and the Middle East.

The company currently operates an industrial-scale prototype plant, which can process more than 1 million tires annually.

“Black Bear’s proven technology is highly promising,” said Johann-Georg Rathgeb, head of technologies at MMEC Mannesmann.

“Considering the lessons learned of their first industrial-sized pilot plant and despite the fire that happened in early February, we are convinced that together we can realise state of the art plants across the globe,” Rathgeb added.

The partnership with MMEC, according to Black Bear, will be “a game-changer” in the company’s time-to-market and “a big step forward”.

“Bundling ourselves with MMEC’s expertise and resources will set a high pace in our global rollout,” concluded Martijn Lopes Cardozo, CEO of Black Bear.