KLEAN PROJECT: TURNING WASTE TYRES INTO SUSTAINABLE LOW‑CARBON FUEL: KLEAN’S UK PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Sustainable Development Goals
Current Project Status:
ON HOLD | Development Started 2007 | Feasibility Study | Pre-FEED
Organizations Involved:
Klean Industries (UK) Ltd (KIU), NISP, Defra, Intowaste, Credential Environmental, Greenergy, UK RTFO, OSS Group & other retailers & recyclers
Services:
Design & Engineering, Due Diligence, Supply Chain Management, Component Supply
Introduction
Facing a critical waste tyre crisis and an undersupplied low-carbon fuels market, the UK needed a resilient, circular solution. Klean Industries stepped in with a commercially proven pyrolysis system, converting end-of-life tyres into renewable transport fuels, recovered carbon black (rCB), and green hydrogen, to establish a scalable model when other approaches fell short.
Project Context & Objectives
- Location: United Kingdom
- Timeline: Feasibility (2007), Pre-FEED development underway
- Partners: Klean Industries (UK) Ltd, NISP, Defra, Intowaste, Credential Environmental, Greenergy, UK RTFO, OSS Group
- Services: Design & Engineering, Due Diligence, Supply Chain, Component Supply
The UK generates approximately 350,000–400,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres (ELTs) annually. Without a strong domestic recycling infrastructure, 85% of ELTs were being exported, sometimes illegally, to markets like India, where poor handling led to toxic environmental impacts. There was also no unified Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, regulatory oversight, or compliance strategy to support domestic tyre recycling.
The project aimed to:
- Secure tyre feedstock through domestic-to-industrial sourcing.
- Deploy continuous pyrolysis for low-carbon fuel and rCB production.
- Align with UK RTFO to maximize renewable transport fuel credits.
- Reshape policy to prevent illegal tyre exports while encouraging legitimate recycling.
Key Industry Challenges
- Broken Domestic Supply Chain: Most ELTs were exported illegally or mismanaged. No viable UK-based tyre stream was available.
- Regulatory & Market Failures: Inconsistent oversight and a lack of EPR created opportunities for rogue global actors.
- Technology Misalignment: Early pyrolysis projects built on lab-scale tech failed under continuous, industrial conditions.
- Absent Circular Market Design: Without offtake structures, low-carbon products couldn’t be produced at a viable scale.
Klean’s Integrated, Proven Solution
- Secure Feedstock & Offtake: Klean partnered with UK waste collectors and industrial consumers to secure tyre supply and renewable fuel demand under the RTFO.
- Deploy Commercial-Scale Pyrolysis: Using a continuous horizontal kiln system capable of 30–240 TPD, Klean ensured industrial-grade performance across all phases.
- Circular Outputs Design:
- rFO: Aligned with RTFO, eligible for credits
- rCB: ASTM-grade, suitable for the tyre and plastics industries
- Green Hydrogen: Recovered from syngas, supporting fuel blending and energy needs
- Policy & Regulation Advisory: Klean worked with Defra and UKRTFO to advocate for export bans on whole/baled tyres and to establish EPR enforcement, following models like Australia.
Project Impact & Outcomes
- Climate Impact: Replacement of fossil fuel with renewable rFO
- Circular Economy: UK-based tyre-to-fuel conversion reduces emissions, logistics, and white-label exports
- Policy Leadership: Set the stage for export bans and EPR pilot programs
- Market Availability: Provided scalable rCB and green hydrogen supply to industrial users
- Investor Confidence: Underpinned projects with proven tech and secure supply chains
Leadership Insights
This UK initiative is at a strategic inflection point with export regulations in dire need of change. By coupling proven pyrolysis tech with supply chain integrity and regulatory alignment, Klean will transform a fragmented, export-heavy tyre market into a homegrown, circular fuel economy.
Klean stands as the global standard-bearer, integrating real-world data, third-party validation, and scalable infrastructure. From planning to commissioning to policy frameworks, Klean delivers confidence, not conjecture.
Learn more:
Why Klean Industries is the Clear Leader in Circular Tyre Recycling Solutions
For over two decades, Klean Industries has been the global standard-bearer for high-efficiency tyre pyrolysis and resource recovery. Klean’s commercialized, industry-proven technology is already operational at scale, with rCB being used by significant tyre manufacturers and industrial clients worldwide.
Klean Industries’ Key Advantages
- ✅ Proven Commercial-Scale Technology: Decades of proven real-world performance in tyre pyrolysis and carbon recovery.
- ✅ High-Performance Recovered Carbon Black (rCB): A sustainable, ASTM-compliant carbon black for the rubber, plastics, and coatings industries.
- ✅ Biogenic Recovered Fuel Oil (rFO): A low-carbon alternative for industrial fuel applications.
- ✅ Turnkey Pyrolysis Solutions: Fully integrated systems designed for compliance with the circular economy.
Ready to unlock low‑carbon transport fuels and circular resource streams? Connect with Klean today to explore how we can implement your next project with zero execution risk.
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This project addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by considering the goals and associated targets illustrated by the WBCSD’s Tyre Industry Project (TIP). TIP offers a framework for action that outlines impactful pathways for the tyre sector to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To learn more about how Klean's approach, solutions, and technologies contribute to advancing the SDGs, please review the report "Sustainability Driven: Accelerating Impact with the Tyre Sector SDG Roadmap". See: https://www.wbcsd.org/Sector-Projects/Tire-Industry-Project/End-of-Life-Tires-ELTs
