Antwerp facility to recycle four million tyres with EU funding

A subsidiary of US-based Bolder Industries is set to recycle over four million end-of-life tyres each year at a planned facility in Antwerp, Belgium.

The project is supported by a EUR 32 million grant from the European Commission’s EU Innovation Fund pilot programme, with an additional EU 2 million from the Flanders region.

Expected to be operational by 2027, the new facility is designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% compared to traditional virgin carbon black production, the company claims.

Modelled on Bolder’s Missouri plant, the Antwerp location will feature four reactors and a modern finishing line and will harness wind energy and on-site heat for its power needs. This aims to address growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives, producing materials such as BolderBlack and BolderOil.

Second life as wetsuit

BolderBlack is used in more than 3 000 products including tyres, wetsuits, and automotive parts, and offers ‘a sustainable replacement’ for traditional carbon black. BolderOil is a component in renewable fuels and various industrial applications.

The expansion will not only increase the availability of these materials but also serves as a template for sustainable manufacturing practices in Europe, the company says.

More to come

‘This is more than a grant, it’s an investment in the future of sustainable manufacturing,’ comments Bolder Industries’ ceo Tony Wibbeler.

Construction on the Antwerp facility will begin in 2026, with full-scale production anticipated the following year, laying the groundwork for Bolder’s European growth strategy.