LD Carbon opens Korea's “first and largest” waste tire pyrolysis plant

Seoul – LD Carbon has inaugurated what it describes as South Korea’s “first and largest” waste tire pyrolysis plant in Dangjin, to the east of the country.

Set to begin full-scale operation next month, the plant plant covers a 29,800m² site and features two factory buildings and five silos.

The unit has an annual capacity to process 50 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) of “tire chips” derived from end-of-life tires (ELTs), said LD Carbon in a 24 April social media post.

LD Carbon applies a two-stage pyrolysis process at the site: initially producing pyrolysis oil and solid char from ELTs.

Then, the company further “crushes” the char and produces recovered carbon black (rCB) through a second pyrolysis process.

The Dangjin facility is projected to produce 20ktpa of rCB and 24ktpa of pyrolysis oil, significantly exceeding the combined 7ktpa output at its existing pilot plant in Gimcheon.

The rCB produced through the process is claimed to reduce carbon emissions by up to 32ktpa compared to conventional carbon black.

LD Carbon said it has signed a 10-year offtake agreement with SK Incheon Petrochem for its pyrolysis oil.

The company is also collaborating with tire maker Hankook, as part of a broader consortium, to enhance the circularity of tires.

The recycler said that it is looking to establish overseas factories and planning to enter the Asian market in the near future.