Bolder advances European waste tire pyrolysis plant with key partnerships

Boulder, Colorado – US waste tire pyrolysis company Bolder Industries, Inc. has advanced plans to build its first European facility in Belgium with the signing of three key partnerships in the region.

To be constructed at the NextGen District of the Port of Antwerp, the facility is slated for commercial operation in 2024, said Bolder in a statement 3 Nov.

To progress the project, Bolder said it had signed agreements with real estate group Antea Group, project management specialists Cyclops, and construction engineering group OSQB.

The Belgian facility will be based on Bolder’s existing plant in Missouri and its second, larger facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Phase 1 of the Antwerp location will house three reactors on site, processing over 3 million end-of-life tires (ELTs) per year.

This, Bolder said, will "dramatically increase" production volumes for the company’s recovered carbon black, branded BolderBlack, and BolderOil pyrolysis oil.

The location is also expected to improve Bolder’s environmental savings by using "98% less CO2 and 85% less water and energy compared to conventional carbon black production processes."

Bolder said it selected the Antea Group as a partner because it was “instrumental” in helping it identify the EU location.

“Bolder made a smart move by developing in this specific location near the largest petrochemical cluster in Europe,” said Jan Parys, general manager of Antea Group Belgium.

“The multimodal transport possibilities, and the site's focus on circular economy make it the ideal choice,” he added.

Bolder has appointed Antwerp-native Wim van Den Broeck, who joined earlier in the year, as director of project development.

He brings with him experience in plastics pyrolysis and “deep expertise” in local logistics from his work on infrastructure projects in Antwerp.