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NEWSLETTER - N°12
June 2024
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Globally, this project is a great success for at least 4 reasons:
1) The project has delivered five key technologies for a new value chain that will allow the transformation of End-of-Life Tires (ELT) into segregated high-quality Secondary Raw Materials (SRMs). Those high-quality SRMs can be introduced at a significant rate into new tyres with no impact on their performances.
2) The project, with all the partners and their skills, has taken a systemic approach, taking into account the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of the value chain simultaneously.
3) The collaborative work between the project members has optimised the global value chain of ELT transformations instead of individual parts of it, as is usually the case when all the actors act individually.
4) This project has contributed to the evolution of the ecosystem around the tyre circular economy in Europe. It was the first one that addressed the feasibility of the ecosystem. It even inspired the creation of a similar project in Korea.
Closing Remarks from the Coordinators:
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Margarita Dorato – BlackCycle Technical Coordinator
“It's was a real pleasure to lead the work of 13 partners from 5 different countries across Europe. I am grateful for the quality of the results achieved: the production of several grades of sustainable carbon black from tyre pyrolysis oil on a scale of several tonnes and the construction of two prototypes for deconstructing end-of-life tyres. I would like to express my thanks to the entire BlackCycle team.”
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Jean-Michel Douarre – BlackCycle Consortium Director
“As coordinator of this major project, I am extremely proud of the results of Blackcycle: in quantity and quality thanks to the very good collaborative work between all the partners and the very high level of kills and involvement. Blackcycle has been a game changer in the ecosystem of tyre circular economy and provides the new technologies to make the new value chain a reality. This is just the beginning to move to the tyre revolution ! A special thank to the technical director of the project Margarita Dorato and her tireless energy. Thank you, thank you, thank you…”
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SUCCESS STORY
BlackCycle achievements after four years of exceptional collaborative effort
Before the project started in 2020, only a small amount of secondary raw materials from the recycling of used tires could be reintroduced into new tires because of a lack of quality of those raw materials for Tyre application.
At the same time, tires at the end of their life could provide a significant amount of material. The key question was finding the appropriate technologies to transform this material into high-quality secondary raw materials that we could use in new tires at a significant rate without negatively impacting tire performance.
Many challenges awaited us: among them, finding the right technologies for a very technical product like tires, bringing together the conditions to create a robust supply chain for new secondary materials and of course creating an economically and ecologically viable value chain. Michelin could not achieve this alone and that is why we launched this European Blackcycle project (co-financed by the European Commission) bringing together all the skills necessary to succeed. The consortium coordinated by Michelin gathered 12 other entities from 5 European countries, each bringing its own area of expertise.
4 years later, the results of this team are breathtaking. We have developed 5 mature technologies, including new dedicated processes (2 tire deconstruction machines, 2 pyrolysis technologies, distillation column) and new secondary raw materials: micronized tyre innerliner rubber, improved recovered CB, sustainable CB as a replacement of CB ASTM, and finally a durable plasticizing resin. All those new raw materials were successfully validated in tyre application.
The technical performance of the new SRM is not the only success. It was also demonstrated that the new value chain has a very positive LCA. In addition to that, the project provides tools and data to prepare the deployment in terms of HSE management, anticipation of social acceptance and some good elements on economic viability of this new value chain. . .
Even if BlackCycle is ending, it is just the beginning. We believe that industrial deployment of the value chain is possible. BlackCycle has delivered proofs and data to create a massive tire circular economy based on that new value chain. Now, there is a common responsibility to succeed: industries, investors, society as well as the European Commission that could help to overcome some obstacles through regulations and/or incentives.
The project is now over and it has been already recognized by 2 international Awards : Recircle award 2023: “Best tire Recycling research Project” and International Tire Technology award 2024: “Environmental Achievement of the Year.
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Final BlackCycle dissemination workshop
On 28th May 2024, 120 participants -manufacturers, equipment suppliers in the recycling sector, institutions and partners in European projects - gathered at the Victor’s residenz-hotel, in Saarbrücken, Germany, to attend the final dissemination event of the results of the European BlackCycle project.
This was an opportunity for the 13 partners in the consortium to discuss the project and present their results.
The presentations and discussions were moderated by Simona Maassen from ORION.
Our warmest thanks to all the speakers and participants who contributed to the success of the day!
More information
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Support of Europe,
Diversity, skills and collaboration of the partners: some key factors of success
Europe has been a huge facilitator through the funding of course but not only. The different reportings and the feedbacks from the European experts helped to improve the steering of the project. The close contact with the project officer from the EC made the project life as fluid as possible and also the structure proposed to bring the 13 partners together in a consortium was very efficient.
Let’s just back now to the members of that consortium that are the core of the reactor of the project: Aliapur, Hera, Estato, Pyrum, Sisener, Michelin, Orion, INERIS, Quantis, CERTH, CSIC-ICB, Axelera, ICAMCYL. Working altogether was an outstanding human adventure: 5 European countries, Big companies, start-up, academics, consultants, institutes, innovation cluster…
The diversity of culture was definitely a major asset of the project and the collaboration was simply amazing. We thank all the women and men of the project, for their involvement, their skills, their attitude even in the face of difficulties and the good spirit which was the driving force behind the success.
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LATEST NEWS
EXPLORE THE PROJECT’S OPPORTUNITY LEAFLET
Discover the groundbreaking advancements in the BlackCycle Project's new Opportunity Leaflet, highlighting the journey from End-of-Life tyres to creating high-value products for new tyres
Learn more
THE BLACKCYCLE PROJECT FROM THE PARTNERS’ POINT OF VIEW
The aim of this video was to capture the partners’ vision of the project, what they remembered and what they liked about it. This video was presented at the BlackCycle Final Workshop in May 2024.
Various questions were asked to the partners:
- What is the future of the BlackCycle?
- What is the main strength of the project?
- What did you like the most in the project?
Take a moment to watch the video and see the consortium’s opinion!
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THEY TALK ABOUT US !
This section will be to share the different press articles about the project.
Press release
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