Lehigh starts micronised rubber plant in Spain

Michelin-owned Lehigh’s first MRP plant outside of the US was constructed in partnership with Spanish partner Hera Holding.

The Murillo plant employs Lehigh’s proprietary cryogenic turbo mill technology and has the capacity to produce 10,000 tonnes of MRP a year.

The plant will produce Lehigh’s PolyDyne and MicroDyne range of MRP, already used by customers in more than 18 countries around the world, said the statement.

The production line is co-located with Indugarbi NFU, a tire recycler in Spain operated by HERA Holding, which will supply of granulate feedstock for the MRP manufacturing process.

Construction of the Navarra plant was managed by Lehigh and executed by UK-based Jex Engineering, with support from the Dennis Group and Air Products.

The plant was commissioned at the end of June 2018 and employs the same layout and equipment as Lehigh’s Tucker, Georgia plant in the US.

“We expect this plant will be a crucial component to meeting the rising demand for green chemicals in Europe and beyond,” said Jason Stravinski, Lehigh’s VP of operations.

The plant in Navarra will supply the growing demand for Lehigh’s MRP product range from the tire, bitumen, coatings, construction and polyurethane industries in Europe and the Middle East.

“Demand for Lehigh’s products is increasing rapidly and this new plant comes at the perfect time to support the growth,” said Lluís Molina, general manager Lehigh Spain.

Michelin acquired Lehigh in late 2017 in support of a goal that its new tires will contain 80% of sustainable materials by 2048.

As an independent company, Lehigh had originally intended to start MRP production at the Spanish facility in 2016.