Titan signs service agreement for oil sands tyre disposal

Titan International has announced that its subsidiary, Titan Tire Reclamation Corp., (TTRC) is leasing ten acres (4 hectares) of land from Suncor Energy, north of Fort McMurray, Canada for ten years to operate a pyrolysis system developed by Green Carbon, a company controlled by Fred Taylor, brother of Titan International chairman and CEO Maurice Taylor. Titan Tire Reclamation has already engaged in negotiations with various companies operating in Canada’s oil sands regarding the disposal of OTR tyres and conveyor belting.

The Green Carbon pyrolysis system uses 75 per cent of the gas from tyres in a special reactor. Each 59R63 tyre produces approximately 500 gallons (2,273 litres) of oil, 4,000 pounds (1.8 kilogrammes) of carbon black and 2,000 pounds (900 kilogrammes) of steel. The oil companies will buy the oil back as a bio fuel that is suitable for refining into bio kerosene. The steel is 1075 carbon can be reclaimed for the production of tool bits on shovels and bulldozers. The carbon black by-product can be reused by Titan Tire. Carbon credits will be generated, however Titan International says the amount to be generated is not yet known. The new system will be up and running by the summer of 2015 and will be able to process 100 million pounds (45 million kilogrammes) of rubber annually.

“TTRC plans to open a second operation west of Edmonton shortly after the initial launch in Fort McMurray,” shared Titan International chairman and CEO, Maurice Taylor. “It is TTRC’s plan to move on to new locations as acreage becomes available and new customers commit to the process. The Titan team has been working for three years to prove this process and is pleased this is progressing favourably. It is gratifying to move forward as we feel this system is extremely eco-friendly.”