The Leading Journal for the Tyre Recycling Sector

The Leading Journal for the Tyre Recycling Sector

Scottish Devulc Project Planned

Devulcanisation operation is planned for Linwood, Scotland

Tyre Recycling in Scotland Heats Up

Until recently, Scotland’s capacity to recycle tyres was limited, most of the tyre arisings being shipped out of the country, often via English contractors. Last year, UK Rubber started operations in Motherwell with plans to build an operation that could handle almost all of Scotland’s tyre arisings. The end goal at UK Rubber is claimed to be a pyrolysis operation, possibly a microwave pyrolysis plant.

Now a second player plans on entering the market. SSH Recycling, whose director Robert Keay is already in the tyre business operating Caledonian Tyres, a well-established tyre retread operation in Paisley.

SSH aims to set up a plant in Linwood with the capacity to handle almost all tyre arisings in Scotland. The country could go from exporting rubber waste to having an overcapacity to recycle – with ensuing challenges to the gate fees.

SSH’s £75m project plans to deal with some 11.6 million tyres per year at capacity. The ultimate process on the site is expected to be devulcanisation, with the new material used on industries as diverse as conveyor belting and shoe manufacture.

The project is undergoing evaluation prior to seeking planning permission, but if all goes well, Keay expects the plant to be operational by 2023, and employing around 55 staff.

Robert Keay stated;  “In Scotland, over 100 tyres are turned into waste every 15 minutes, creating a waste tyre problem that can lead to both legal and illegal dumping of tyres.

“Some of these tyres are exported to be burned at a significant carbon cost.

“Our proposed processing plant will solve this problem, using a ground-breaking system that will see every part of the waste tyre broken down to be recycled or reused.

“We are looking forward to playing a leading role in helping Scotland’s circular economy thrive, while protecting the environment and driving the country towards being a Zero Waste Nation.”

Plans show two new buildings with a tyre reception area linked by overhead conveyor to the production hall.

SSH Recycling plan to use micro turbines for power and heat generation and claim this represents a “watershed energy management solution.”