Energy Estate and InfraCo announced a joint venture (REVYRE) to develop and build innovative tire recycling plants in Australia and New Zealand, utilizing two revolutionary technologies – Vertech/RubberJet Valley tire disintegration and Tyromer rubber devulcanisation.
Currently, Australia disposes of over 60,000 tonnes of end of life tires (ELTs) by exporting them and approximately 100,000 tonnes are stockpiled in landfills or stockpiled onsite (predominantly within the mining and agricultural sectors).
With the COAG agreed ban on used tire exportation from December 2021 the annual growth in Australia’s tire stockpile will be even greater. New Zealand currently generates 5-6 million ELTs annually which equates to close to 70,000 tonnes.
These units are either shredded locally for domestic burning in cement kilns as Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) or are baled and exported for use as TDF in Asia.
The project’s characteristics
REVYRE seeks to solve this waste problem through the rollout of its innovative combined recycling technology. Its projects are modular, scalable and mobile – a total tire recycling process that will destruct and re-purpose any constituent parts of a tire, turning it into a high-value polymer product for export and clean high tensile scrap steel.
The overall process has near zero-waste, emissions or by-products and does not use or produce toxic chemicals.
The tire-derived polymer or TDP will be exported for direct re-use in the tire manufacturing process. In particular, the process uses no chemicals or solvents, is commercially viable on an industrial scale and is the only known environmentally friendly devulcanization technology.
While REVYRE’s solution can address all tire sizes, it is particularly well suited to larger off-the-road (OTR) tires, such as those used in mining and agricultural operations in Australia and New Zealand.
Those solutions can play a critical part in sustainably managing current and future tire stockpiles. It is a financially attractive and environmentally superior solution relative to alternative tire disposal options.
The project solution will also support the development of a circular economy for ELTs. The plants will seek to procure renewable energy for operations as part of our dedication to maintaining a low carbon footprint and lessening the environmental impact of the tire production cycle.
Future goals
Energy Estate and InfraCo are committed to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the REVYRE solution will help achieve 8 of the 17 SDGs.
Production of TDP will save approximately 94% of the energy required to produce the virgin compounds it replaces, as well as significant savings in oil used and avoided deforestation.
The deployment of REVYRE’s new technology and development of processing plants will be a critical element for developing a circular economy in Australia and will make a significant positive environmental impact when it comes to recycling and waste management.
— Simon Corbell, Chief Advisor, Energy Estate
“The ability to scale the number of plants creates significant economic benefits for regional Australia and we expect to develop plants in several States.
Each operating plant will provide 30 permanent, operational jobs, in addition to the development, construction, installation and commissioning jobs. There will be numerous direct and indirect supply chain job opportunities,” added Corbell.
Given the scale and locations of Australia’s mining industry, in particular, there is a sufficient tire disposal requirement to justify at least 2-3 REVYRE plants in each of the mainland states.
Following the tyre export ban from 2021, Australia will have annually 160,000 tonnes of tyres stockpiling that it needs to address.
— Luke Panchal, Director, Energy Estate
“ This means the need for environmentally and socially responsible and cost-effective solutions for managing used tire disposal in Australia is critical – especially for heavy OTR tires. To date, sustainable, environmentally responsible, economic and easy-to-implement recycling options have not been present in Australia.
REVYRE delivers this option and is a solution that addresses tire disposal in a truly circular process with no emissions and without the use of toxic chemicals. It is a solution that makes economic and environmental sense,” added Panchal.
Shaun Zukor, Director and Co-founder of InfraCo and REVYRE states, “We are extremely happy to have joined forces with Energy Estate to establish multiple facilities in both Australia and New Zealand.
We have developed a compelling New Zealand business case with our technology partners from Canada and Europe and we submitted a Provincial Growth Fund application with the New Zealand government in November 2019.
Our plans are to start locally with our new partners and to expand into Africa and other territories thereby covering a large part of the globe where our presence will have major environmental, social and economic impacts.
The technology allows a truly circular economy and deals with a part of the mining tire waste stream that has been extremely difficult to dispose of previously.”
The project is currently receiving interest from foundation customers and investors interested in the growth of sustainable tire recycling and waste management in Australia, New Zealand and globally.
