Pyrolyx advances US operation with facility test-run, acquisition

Munich, Germany – Waste tire pyrolysis company Pyrolyx AG has completed the cold commissioning of the major systems at its recently constructed facility in Terre Haute, Indiana, the company announced 8 Oct.

Cold commissioning is the full operation of machinery and systems, which is done in preparation for hot commissioning and initial production.

The operations included the heating up of all 20 ovens in Pyrolyx’s unique system, operating the oil production system, all product-conveying systems and the finished product drying system. 

Over the coming weeks, Pyrolyx said it expected to conduct the hot commissioning of all systems and start production.

The 13 kilotonne-per-annum (ktpa) plant was originally due for start-up in June. 

Pyrolyx is also in the process of building a second similarly-sized waste tire processing plant adjacent to the company’s existing facility.

At the same time, Pyrolyx subsidiary, Pyrolyx USA Inc. completed the purchase of J&R Used Tire Service, Inc (J&R).

The €3.6-million transaction was originally announced on 1 Feb and consists of an asset purchase of J&R’s facilities and equipment, including its existing, permitted tire processing facility in Newport, Indiana. 

J&R’s Newport facility is 45 kilometres (28 miles) north of Pyrolyx’s existing facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The move marks an important strategic acquisition for Pyrolyx, allowing the company to secure the supply of waste tires to both the existing and the future additional facility in Terre Haute, Indiana. 

Combining the tire collection, processing business and its technology to produce recovered carbon black will enable Pyrolyx to supply ‘cradle to cradle’ solution to customers, the company said.

Post-acquisition, Rodney Rogers, the former owner of J&R will now serve as Pyrolyx’s VP of business development and feedstock supply.

“Vertically integrating into tire collection and processing allows Pyrolyx to provide a complete solution to customers including global tire manufacturers,” said Thomas Redd, CEO of Pyrolyx USA. 

According to Redd, the model of securing feedstock to its recovered carbon black manufacturing will allow Pyrolyx to profitably grow and ensure consistent raw materials.