Around one billion tyres reach the end of their useful life each year. Now Bridgestone, Grupo BB&G and Versalis are working on a project that will create closed-loop ecosystem which transforms these end-of-life tyres back into new tyres. The companies will also look to develop a model for the creation of a scalable and ‘increasingly sustainable’ supply chain.
Using BB&G’s thermomechanical pyrolysis process, the old tyres will be turned into tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO) which will be used to produce high-quality elastomers, comparable to those obtained from traditional feedstock used to produce new tyres.
BB&G, which has some 10 years’ experience of operating two generations of tyre pyrolysis pilot plants, has recently commissioned its first commercial scale tyre pyrolysis production facility, which will be used to validate the feasibility and quality of materials produced by its process. The facility, located in Fatima, Portugal has been operational since July 2024.
In the coming months, TPO from the BB&G facility will be used as feedstock by Versalis to produce circular elastomers that will then be used by Bridgestone to create the first batch of tyres in early 2025.
The collaboration will allow Versalis to integrate TPO from BB&G into its own supply chain and expand its International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certified product range. The partners will also collaborate to research and develop technical solutions to set up a sustainable supply chain.
Versalis CEO Adriano Alfani commented: “In line with our strategy for circularity, we have developed lower-carbon solutions which perfectly fit in the value chain we’ve established with our industry partners Bridgestone EMEA and Grupo BB&G. This agreement aims at delivering maximum value to our customers and an innovative boost to the tyre industry.”
Earlier this year another collaboration, this time between Borealis, Covestro and Neste, announced that it was working on the chemical recycling of end of life tyres. Pyrolysis oil from these tyres is being used by Neste to produce raw materials that are then taken by Borealis and converted to phenol and acetone. These materials are then being used by Covestro to produce high-purity polycarbonate which is being used in a range of automotive applications.
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