Tyre recycling firm Wastefront says it has reached a major milestone in bringing forward its £100m Sunderland plant having secured permissions from the Environment Agency.
The Norwegian operator said its environmental permit clears the way for the next stage of development ahead of the plant opening in 2026. It follows recent news that Wastefront has secured around £33m ($43m) from Dutch energy storage specialist VTTI, as part of an agreement that will see the pair jointly set up other sites around the world.
At the Port of Sunderland, the Oslo company plans to process 80,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres each year. Wastefront says it has already got a full circular supply chain for the resulting products, including deals with materials distributor Weber & Schaer for its recovered carbon black and an agreement with Vitol for a 10-year offtake agreement for the production of liquid hydrocarbons and certain non-liquid products.
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Wastefront CEO Vianney Vales said: "Wastefront’s work is timely and urgent; our blueprint will solve the disposal of an estimated 31 million metric tonnes of end-of-life-tyres annually, which is currently a concerningly dense source of both emissions and waste. Our blueprint will reduce emissions and bring circularity to heavy industry, at a scale not seen before.
"We are therefore delighted to have been granted an environmental permit for our Sunderland site - it’s a vital step on the journey to having the site fully operational by 2026. The entire team can now focus on starting construction and investing further in Sunderland. We reflect on this key milestone, and thank those who have helped us reach this stage, and are excited for what comes next.”
Matthew Hunt, director at Port of Sunderland, added: "We are delighted that Wastefront has received an environmental permit for its world-first tyre recycling plant here at Port of Sunderland. Representing an investment of over £100m, once completed, the facility will represent a critical piece of Ƶ infrastructure, creating highly skilled jobs for local people at the Port and significantly consolidating further our position as an investment location of choice for the ever-growing circular economy.”
The design and building of Wastefront's Sunderland facility is being handled by French firm Technip Energies. It will be built in two stages, with the first phase requiring an investment of £100m. Alongside the backing of VTTI, the firm has also received support from Eurostars Eureka program, the Norwegian state-owned company and national development bank Innovation Norway, Vitol, and The Research Council of Norway (Skattefunn)
