Michelin teams up with Enviro to build a tyre recycling plant in Chile

1400

Michelin has partnered with Swedish company Enviro to build its first end-of-life tyre recycling plant in Chile.

The new plant, to be located in Chile’s Antofagasta region, will be able to recycle 30,000 tons of earthmover tyres a year, or nearly 60% of such tyres scrapped every year nationwide.

Michelin said the $30 million recycling plant will support the circular economy with innovative recycling processes, with scrap tyres to be collected directly from customer premises, then transported to the plant to be cut up and recycled.

The plant will utilise Enviro’s patented technology that recovers carbon black, oil, steel and gas from end-of-life tyres.

Adertisement

Sander Vermeulen, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development, Strategy and New Business for the High-Tech Materials business line, said current plans call for 90% of the recovered materials to be reused in a variety of rubber-based products, such as tyres, conveyor belts and anti-vibration products.

The remaining 10%, Mr Vermeulen said, will be reused directly by the plant to generate its own-use heat and power.

“This is a major milestone that will enable us to offer customers a new-generation recycling solution, while developing new business for the Group,” he continued.

“We are currently in talks with several Chilean mining customers to sign long-term contracts.

“By scaling up Enviro’s technology, we are offering them a solution that will support their environmental objectives and enables the development of a circular economy.”

Construction on Michelin’s first new-generation end-of-life tyre processing plant will commence this year, with production scheduled to get underway in 2023.

Video: Michelin YouTube channel