Klean Industries has had a high profile in the media due to a series of press releases and statements over the years that perhaps did not give a true reflection of the realities. Discussions at the rcb Conference with Klean’s Mark Vandevoorde gave the impression that things were changing for the better
Klean Industries has carried out numerous feasibility studies and entered various agreements that often did not materialise as anticipated. These exercises gave Klean a high profile, yet at the same time the plant they had purchased in Boardman, Oregon faced multiple barriers to production and ultimately, according to Vandevoorde, when we spoke in Barcelona, was in the process of being sold to what would be its fourth owner. Klean was walking away from that project.
Vandevoorde told Tyre and Rubber Recycling that there was a new strategy in place to develop the business. The technology had been sold to KBR Inc, a Delware-based corporation who, according to their website; “Every day, our people work together to deliver solutions that are helping solve the great challenges and opportunities of our time, including climate change, national security, energy transition and security, cybersecurity, space exploration, and more.
“The KBR team of teams delivers future-forward science, technology and engineering solutions and mission-critical services that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most important objectives, while also helping achieve their sustainability goals.”
KBR delivers through its two primary businesses — Mission Technology Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions – Klean Industries’ technology falls into the latter sector.
Under the agreement, KBR will be the exclusive licensing partner and will lead global sales, marketing, engineering and delivery of tyre recycling projects powered by TyreNova technology, while Klean continues to drive innovation, project development, and technical leadership. Together, the companies will offer turnkey solutions for transforming end-of-life tyres into valuable products, advancing the circular economy and reducing environmental impact at scale.
“This alliance is built on proven performance,” said Jesse Klinkhamer, CEO of Klean Industries. “A commercial-scale plant has been operating successfully [at a third party plant] for nearly a decade with this technology at its core. With KBR’s global reach, engineering depth and track-record at successfully scaling emerging sustainable technologies globally, we’re now scaling that success worldwide.”
Vandevoorde concluded; “In future, we will license back our own technology when we develop a pyrolysis project.”
