Investors buy Portuguese ELT pyrolysis company BB&G

Fatima, Portugal – Prismore Capital, BDI-BioEnergy International and the Rieckermann Group have acquired the patented tire pyrolysis technology of Grupo BB&G, a Portugal-based end-of-life tire (ELT) recycler.

The acquisition, finalised through a new joint venture named BB&G Recycling, includes BB&G’s intellectual property, a demonstration plant in Fatima, Portugal, and an ongoing collaboration with Bridgestone and Versalis.

As part of the deal, Austrian greentech firm BDI – which was partially acquired by German machinery maker Rieckermann in early 2024 – will collaborate with Prismore and Rieckermann to expand BB&G’s technology.

The partners will aim to develop and optimise the BB&G tire pyrolysis process, roll out its own commercial-scale plants, and sell the technology internationally.

The move builds on a September 2024 major partnership under which Bridgestone and Versalis began using BB&G’s pyrolysis oil (TPO) to produce rubber for new tires to promote circularity within the industry.

Bridgestone aims to produce its first batch of circular tires using BB&G-derived TPO in early 2025.

Miguel Gil Mata, CEO of Prismore Capital said the investment would “strengthen and scale our circular economy vertical.”

BDI, meanwhile, will “diversify and strengthen” its position in pyrolysis technology, according David Niederl and Manfred Baumgartner, managing directors of BDI

Rieckerman expects its customers in Asia to benefit from the deal, as the group operates an “extensive network” in Asia and MENA regions, where it can license the BB&G technology.

BB&G’s technology processes ELTs to yield TPO and recovered carbon black (rCB), both of which can be reused in new tires or other rubber and plastic applications.

The company’s commercial-scale plant in Portugal was commissioned in July 2024, has been key to proving the quality and scalability of BB&G’s process.