24 Mar 2025
Canada-based Klean Industries and Australian energy infrastructure company Viva Energy are collaborating on a new tyre recycling initiative at the Geelong Refinery. The project aims to convert end-of-life tyres into valuable materials, supporting Australia’s circular economy and sustainability efforts. The plan involves developing a Melbourne-based facility capable of processing up to 80,000 tonnes of used tyres annually.
Canada-based Klean Industries and Australian energy infrastructure company Viva Energy are collaborating on a new tyre recycling initiative at the Geelong Refinery. The project aims to convert end-of-life tyres into valuable materials, supporting Australia’s circular economy and sustainability efforts. The plan involves developing a Melbourne-based facility capable of processing up to 80,000 tonnes of used tyres annually.
Klean Industries has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Viva Energy Australia to conduct a pre-feasibility study for the establishment of a tyre recycling plant focused on recovering sustainable resources.
The facility is expected to extract three key materials from discarded tyres:
Recovered carbon black (rCB): Used in manufacturing new tyres, rubber goods, and plastics.
Steel: To be recycled for metal production.
Biogenic pyrolysis oil: To be processed at the Geelong Refinery for producing low-carbon fuels.
Klean Industries specializes in converting waste materials, including end-of-life tyres and non-recycled plastics, into reusable resources.
A Step Towards a Sustainable Refinery
Viva Energy’s Chief Strategy Officer, Lachlan Pfeiffer, emphasized the significance of this initiative for the future of the Geelong Refinery.
“This collaboration with Klean Industries represents a crucial step in shaping the refinery’s future role,” he stated. “By repurposing end-of-life tyres into valuable resources, we are actively reducing waste while also exploring new pathways for low-carbon fuel production. This project reinforces our commitment to fostering a circular economy and generating both environmental and economic benefits for the community.”
As part of this initiative, Viva Energy is importing a shipment of tyre pyrolysis oil produced with Klean’s technology to the Geelong Refinery. This trial will assess the feasibility of processing tyre-derived oil at scale, furthering the company’s efforts to create lower-carbon fuels and expand its range of alternative feedstocks.
If successful, the project will integrate tyre-derived materials into the refinery’s co-processing operations, strengthening its role in Australia’s circular economy while reducing landfill waste.
Over the past two months, Viva Energy has announced multiple projects aimed at incorporating alternative feedstocks—such as soft plastics, tallow, and used cooking oil—into its refining processes.
The detailed article published by rubberjournalasia.com can be accessed from https://rubberjournalasia.com/klean-industries-viva-energy-to-launch-tyre-recycling-in-australia/#:~:text=Canada%2Dbased%20Klean%20Industries%20and,sustainability%20within%20Australia's%20circular%20economy.
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