Marubeni Invests in Tyre Recycling Tech for Thailand

Key Takeaways

Marubeni is investing in Green Rubber Energy Company Limited to develop a tyre recycling business in Thailand.
Over 30 million tyres are discarded every year globally, and recycling is the solution.
Marubeni will create a tyre recycling supply chain, expand this model to other countries and make the tyre and rubber industry more sustainable.

Marubeni Corporation is investing in Green Rubber Energy Company Limited (GRE) to develop their End-of-Life (ELT) pyrolysis recycling business in Thailand.

Over 30 million tyres are discarded every year globally, and many end up in landfills or are incinerated, causing environmental problems. Countries are tightening up ELT disposal regulations, and tyre manufacturers are looking to increase the use of renewable materials. This has led to growing interest in recycling technologies that can convert ELTs into raw materials for tyre production.

For over 10 years, GRE has been developing technology to recover carbon black (rCB) and tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO) from ELTs. Previously, rCB was not suitable for tyre production due to impurities. But GRE has now achieved stable production of rCB for tyre applications.

Marubeni’s investment will establish a tyre recycling supply chain in Thailand. This includes collecting ELTs, producing recycled materials like rCB and TPO and leveraging Marubeni’s network for wider distribution.

B-Quik Co., Ltd., a Marubeni subsidiary will supply ELTs to GRE. The company will also enhance rCB quality using RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH’s technology and promote sales through Marubeni Techno Rubber Co., Ltd.’s network. Marubeni will use this as a model to expand tyre recycling in Japan, Southeast Asia and globally.

Marubeni’s green strategy is part of their Mid-term Management Strategy GC2024. In the tyre and rubber business, Marubeni will build a sustainable value chain from raw materials to tire sales. This investment will help reduce ELT environmental impact and promote the use of renewable materials.

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Source: Marubeni