Circular Refining and Products Co

Circular Refining and Products Co. is a GM-based start-up developing a solution to reverse engineer hard-to-recycle waste into clean combustible gas, which will be used to generate power and produce hydrogen.

Circular Refining and Products Co. approached the SMI Hub to understand whether they could use tyres as a feedstock in their thermal treatment technology, and to explore alternative feedstocks that could be used and might be more sustainable than using tyres. The company were reluctant to use tyres, knowing they have a relatively well-defined recycling pathway in the UK – and hoped to target hard-to-recycle waste streams in order to have a positive environmental impact.

The SMI Hub researched, completed a literature review and presented relevant insights into:

1.  Different thermal treatments (gasification and pyrolysis), optimal operating environments, and the products of the process

2.  Alternative feedstocks for thermal treatment and sustainability considerations for each feedstock, including tyres, refuse-derived fuel (RDF), solid recovered fuel (SRF), clinical waste and automotive shredder residue

3.  General considerations for green hydrogen production

4.  Future outlook of hydrogen production in the UK

Next Steps

Circular Refining and Products Co. is continuing to explore waste feedstocks as one of three primary avenues of producing more sustainable green fuels for the future of heavy logistics.

“The research presented to us by the SMI Hub opened our eyes to a whole new sector of feedstocks in the shape of automotive shredder residue, which is a waste stream we hope to exploit if the resource is readily available in a region we are looking to develop our waste gasification technology.”

 

Mark Shaw, Circular Refining and Products Co.