China-based Niutech Environment Technology Corporation announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, Shandong Hesheng Environment Technology Co., Ltd., has started construction on a tire pyrolysis expansion project that will increase the company’s annual processing capacity from 60,000 metric tons to 160,000 metric tons.
According to the company, the expansion will make Hesheng one of the world’s largest tire resource recovery operations using pyrolysis technology. The project is expected to use Niutech’s industrial continuous intelligent pyrolysis systems, which the company said are designed to improve throughput, uptime and automation compared with traditional pyrolysis units.
Niutech said the new equipment is intended to lower operating costs and improve the economics of large-scale tire pyrolysis projects. The company added that long-term commercial operation of tire pyrolysis systems has been a challenge for the industry, particularly in achieving stable, continuous production at scale.
Tire pyrolysis is a form of chemical recycling that uses heat in an oxygen-limited environment to break down waste tires into products including pyrolysis oil, recovered carbon black and gas. In the chemical sector, pyrolysis oil can be used as an alternative feedstock for fuels and chemicals, while recovered carbon black can be used in tire production, plastics and other industrial materials. The technology is increasingly being used to support circular economy goals and reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based raw materials.
According to Niutech, its tire pyrolysis oil has obtained international certifications that support sales into global markets, while its recovered carbon black is being upgraded for higher-value applications.