Bolder advances European waste tire pyrolysis plant with ‘final permits’

Antwerp, Belgium — US waste tire pyrolysis company Bolder Industries has received 'final permitting' to build its first European facility, a commercial-scale recovered carbon black (rCB) site in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

In a 15 June statement, Bolder said the permit covers an 86 kilotonne per annum (ktpa) design capacity site, to be built in two phases to produce BolderBlack branded rCB and BolderOil branded pyrolysis oil.

Phase 1 of the plant will have a 43ktpa processing capacity and will create more than 50 jobs in the Antwerp region and phase 2 will double processing rate to full capacity.

Bolder said no objections were filed during the required public consultation periods for the project which is co-funded by the European Union Innovation Fund and supported by equity investment from Tiger Infrastructure Partners.

At full operating capacity, the facility is designed to divert nearly 6 million end-of-life tires (ELT) annually and reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by “up to 85%” compared to virgin carbon black production.

The plant is also estimated to reduce 606 kilotonnes of CO2e over its first decade.

Bolder's continuous thermal pyrolysis process is claimed to recover 98% of each tire's material content.

“This permit is a key milestone for Bolder Industries, Port of Antwerp-Bruges,” said Tony Wibbeler, CEO of Bolder Industries. “It’s an important step in the disciplined development of our European platform.”

The Antwerp facility adds European manufacturing capacity to Bolder's existing commercial operations in Maryville, Missouri, and Terre Haute, Indiana.