On Tuesday, King Willem-Alexander officially opened Circtec chemical recycling plant for end-of-life tyres at the Delfzijl chemical industry cluster in the Netherlands, marking the completion and commissioning of Phase 1 of the project
Tyre Recycling Plant
The Circtec facility, which began construction after the investment announcement in May 2024, is now in operation and has the capacity to recycle 50,000 tonnes of waste tyres annually. The plant uses Circtec’s proprietary CIFR pyrolysis technology to convert tyre waste into circular products, including sustainable marine fuel (HUPA), circular naphtha for plastics and chemicals, tyre pyrolysis oil and high-quality recovered carbon black for reuse in tyre, rubber and plastics manufacturing. Phase 2 construction should begin later this year and will expand the plant’s modular capacity to 200,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to around 6% of Europe’s total waste tyre volume.
Once fully scaled, the Delfzijl plant could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to approximately 3% of the Netherlands’ chemical industry emissions, according to an ISO-standard life cycle assessment. Long-term offtake agreements have been secured, with Birla Carbon contracting the recovered carbon black output and bp taking the plant’s fuels and chemical feedstocks. The project is supported by a €150 million investment from Novo Holdings and A.P. Moller Holding and forms part of Circtec’s broader plans to develop additional
Allen Timpany, CEO and Cofounder of Circtec, said: “Circtec now moves forward to operate the first phase of this plant and to expand it to its full designed and permitted size. Let us work together to scale this success further. So that this plant may inspire others, here in the Netherlands and far beyond, to rethink waste, reimagine value, and to keep moving forward, tenaciously, innovatively, and with strategic vision toward a sustainable and resilient industrial future”.
Sophie Hermans, the Netherlands Deputy Minister and Minister of Climate and Green Growth, said: “What we see here at Circtec is Green Growth at its best. Every year, 180,000 tonnes of used car tyres — waste that used to be incinerated — will be given a second life as a high-quality raw material. That is circular economy on an industrial scale. This factory shows that we can and want to become more sustainable in the Netherlands, and dare to build a new, future-proof industry. Good for our climate, good for our economy and good for the earning capacity of the Netherlands”.
John Loudermilk, CEO of Birla Carbon, said, “Congratulations to the Circtec leadership team on building this state-of-the-art facility in the Netherlands. Birla Carbon joins Circtec in celebrating this opening in the presence of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. The Birla Carbon / Circtec partnership has grown over the last few years, and the opening of this facility will support the availability of Continua™ Sustainable Carbonaceous Material (SCM) across Europe and markets around the world.” He further added, “We will continue to build on this partnership, sharing our expertise and supporting our customers in advancing their sustainability goals while contributing to a more circular future.”
Corné Boot, Head of Country bp Netherlands, said: “This is a great example of companies and governments working together delivering green growth. By partnering with Circtec, bp can help scale advanced circular feedstocks and biofuels, creating real impact for industry and transport in the Netherlands and beyond.”
Anders Spohr, Senior Partner, Bioindustrial Investments, Novo Holdings, said: “This milestone highlights the value of efficient, scalable solutions that keep materials in productive use and strengthen circularity. Building this kind of industrial capability in Europe is essential for long-term competitiveness. For Novo Holdings, it reflects our ambition to advance the green transition by investing in scalable technologies that combine strong execution with meaningful environmental impact.”
Chetan Mehta, Head of Growth Equity, A.P. Moller Holding, said: “We congratulate the entire CIRCTEC team on its milestone achievement. This plant marks a definitive step forward in delivering tangible, industrial-scale solutions for global energy transition problems. A.P. Moller Holding is committed to backing and building businesses with a positive impact on society, and we are excited to be investors and partners to CIRCTEC as the team develops a world-class end-of-life tire pyrolysis platform.”
