UK council refuses permit for Tyregen ELT pyrolysis plant

Swansea, UK – Waste tire recycler Tyregen UK has been denied a permit to install an end-of-life tire pyrolysis plant at the Westfield Industrial Estate in Swansea.

In a 29 July notice, Swansea Council said the proposed unit qualified as a “small waste incineration plant” and cited “insufficient technical competence and inadequate environmental management systems” as grounds for refusal.

The council’s 350-page draft decision also noted there was “insufficient evidence currently to fully confirm the financial ability of the operator to operate the installation in accordance with an environmental permit.”

Public representations on the draft decision were open until 25 Aug with a final ruling expected within 5 to 15 days after the deadline, depending on submissions.

According to the application, lodged in 2023, the facility would process 7,650 tonnes of pre-treated tire material per year to produce recovered carbon black and pyrolysis oil.

Tyregen maintained the plant would not generate significant air or water pollution, stating that residual gas emissions would be cooled and cleaned through a series of abatement processes.