Page 15 from: What’s inside?
15recyclinginternational.com | May/June | 2024
THM Recycling Solutions GmbH
Sulzfelder Straße 38
75031 Eppingen
Germany
www.thm-rs.de
[email protected]
PG GRANULATOR
Production & sales
Tel: +49 (0) 72 62-92 43-200
Fax: +49 (0) 72 62-92 43-29
We live
the rhythm
START-UPS JOIN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY’S
‘SILICON VALLEY’
The Circular Valley initiative in Germany has started a new
round of its funding programme to develop a ‘Silicon Valley of
the circular economy’ in the heart of Europe.
The initiative was launched by the Circular Valley Foundation in
2021. Its mission is to close material loops along existing value
chains, develop policy recommendations and inform the public
about the circular economy. Existing Circular Valley members
include BASF, Bayer, Evonik, Knipe and Vorwerk and scientific
institutions such as the Fraunhofer Umsicht Institute, the Max
Planck Society and the Wuppertal Institute.
More than 100 start-ups have been funded by Circular Valley to
date, coming from all over the world to advance their ideas in
the Rhine-Ruhr region. The latest 15 come from Egypt, Chile,
India and various European countries. Starting in April, they will
spend three months developing their business models in the
Rhine-Ruhr region.
During the funding programme, the start-up leaders work with
coaches and mentors, visit numerous companies and network
with local industry. The highlight of the funding programme is a
demonstration day on 28 May when the start-ups present their
ideas to an audience. The emphasis of the current funding pro-
gramme is on co-ordinating the value chain, alternative raw
materials and bioeconomy, and new techniques for chemical
recycling.
The most recent start-ups are:
• Coordinating the value chain: Agrona (Egypt), Circulix
(Germany), CL Circular (Spain), ContainerGrid (Germany),
VGC.AI (Germany)
• Alternative raw materials and bioeconomy: CarbonCraft
(India), Circular Structures (Germany), Flower Matter
(Germany), Upcyde (Denmark)
• New technologies for chemical recycling: Radical Dot
(Germany), Sustanix Materialtech (Netherlands), T-phite
(Chile), Blue Plasmapower (Spain)
• Others: Qaptis (Switzerland), Waste to Wealth (Tansania)
BIMCO UPBEAT ABOUT SHIP RECYCLING
The industry trade group for shipping, Bimco, expects twice as many ships to be recycled in the coming decade than in the
past 10 years.
The forecast comes as recycling of bulkers, tankers and container ships has dropped to the lowest level in 20 years. During the first quar-
ter of 2024, only two million deadweight tonnes (DWT) ship capacity were recycled. According to Bimco, this marks the ninth consecu-
tive quarter with recycling levels below three million DWT. The last time recycling was this low for a prolonged period was before the
2008 financial crisis.
20-year low
‘A combination of strong demand following a series of market shocks and low orderbooks have kept older ships operating for longer
than usual,’ Bimco’s Filipe Gouveia writes on the organisation’s website. He adds that bulker and tanker newbuilding deliveries have also
reached the lowest levels in 20 years. Gouveia points out the current security situation in the Red Sea has boosted demand for ships. ‘A
larger number of ships is needed to transport the same amount of cargo as sailing distances increase when ships reroute via the Cape of
Good Hope.
‘During 2022 and 2023, sanctions on Russian oil and coal exports had a similar and lasting impact on the tanker and bulk sectors. Also,
changed consumer behaviours during the Covid pandemic caused a spike in container demand.’
Container growth
Gouveia believes some indicators point to stronger fleet
development. In the container sector, the newbuilding
delivery record from 2023 is expected to be broken in
2024. ‘In the tanker sector, recent increases in newbuilding
contracting will cause deliveries to rise significantly in 2025
and 2026 while cargo volume growth could remain low.’
Bimco says ship recycling will ‘inevitably rebound’ in the
coming years.
‘The ships that would have been recycled if the Cape of
Good Hope rerouting had not been necessary, will likely
be recycled soon after the situation is resolved,’ Gouveia
concludes. ‘Despite this short-term lull in recycling, we still
expect that more than twice as many ships will be recycled
between 2023 and 2033 than were recycled during the
past 10 years.’
TURNING WASTE
INTO PROFIT
T: 01403 783634
E: [email protected]
blakertech.com
Efficient and cost-effective
metal recovery
Recovery of high-value metals and minerals from non-ferrous
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Our SandFlo fluidised bed separator and MagThro eddy current
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Both are built by hand at our UK premises, with full installation,
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Come and see us at Hillhead, stand C5, to see our
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l High recovery performance
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l Dry process solutions, no by-products
l Individually built in the UK
l Installation and full training
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l Products installed in 14+
countries worldwide
Visit us at stand C5 Hillhead 2024 June 25-27
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