UK’s "first" waste tire pyrolysis plant set to start production

Worksop, UK – UK logistics and warehousing specialist Carlton Forest Group is set to launch the country's 'first waste tire pyrolysis plant' in Worksop, in the east Midlands of England, in the fourth quarter of the year, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has announced.

The plant will recover over 1.8 million tires from the 57 million annual end-of-life tires (ELTs) in the UK, said Scott Robson, managing director, Carlton Forest Renewables which has joined TRA ahead of the full launch. 

“This is just the first of a number of plants that will be designed, manufactured and operated by us across the UK,” he said in a 23 Aug statement.

The group broke ground on the site in July and has invested over £5 million (€5.8 million) in research & development in this area since 2018.

Under the group's patented design, the plant will have a modular layout with each reactor module recovering 4 million litres of oil and 2.5 kilotonnes of carbon char from 7.5 kilotonnes from end-of-life tire crumb.

The group, according to TRA, has a five-year vision to generate 100 million litres of renewable oil per year by 2026. 

The strategy will be delivered by installing modular plants across the UK, close to the source of the ELTs, to reduce wasted transport miles and provide further CO2 benefits. 

“Carlton Forest Renewables is a business that is at the forefront of finding new ways to utilise used tires,” said Peter Taylor, TRA secretary general.

“We… know that it [the group’s investments] will make a tangible difference both in the short, and long term, to our industry,” he added.