Pyrum Innovations still building second plant – but not in Homburg

Pyrum Innovations has dropped plans to build a pyrolysis tyre recycling plant at Homburg, in Germany’s Saarland – but is still confident of setting up its second facility within the originally-announced timeframe, more or less. The company has already identified a potential new location.

Upon publishing its financial results for the first nine months of 2023, Pyrum Innovations shared that despite “a great deal of support” from local and state politicians as well as the Saarland state development agency, during the approval process it became apparent that water protection requirements for the Homburg site would lead to additional investment. According to Pyrum, these costs would “represent a considerable expense and jeopardise the economic viability of the site.”

Elaborating on this unforeseen obstacle, the company explains that further progress with construction plans would require a change in the site’s categorisation at a federal level, something that “does not appear to be possible in the near future despite strong support from local and state politicians.” Earlier this month, the Management Board of Pyrum Innovations AG therefore decided it is “currently not economically viable to pursue the construction of a plant” at the Homburg site.

Alternate site already found

Despite this setback, Pyrum Innovations is not back at square one and has already started the further development of a location it previously assessed as suitable when looking for future plant sites in parallel with its evaluation of Homburg. “This now makes it possible to press ahead with the project for a second own plant site without any major delays,” the company confirms.

This alternate site is also located in the state of Saarland, and although Pyrum hasn’t shared specific details, it comments that “thanks to its access to waterways, railways and motorways, the alternative site is in a very good logistical location.” The company intends to present the plant construction project to the local municipal council before the end of this month and is confident of being able to further utilise most of the preparatory and planning work carried out to date.

Pyrum Innovations’ continued aim is to submit the licence application in the short term and to break ground in the first half of 2024. “Now that the start-up financing for the next Pyrum-owned plant planned in Saarland has been secured and the plant components with foreseeable long delivery times are to be ordered in the first quarter of 2024, Pyrum’s Management Board is working intensively on the development of the new plant site in Saarland,” stated the company on 23 November.