Deakin partnership aims to convert old tyres into electricity

Deakin University has announced that it is partnering with Geelong-based company Clean Energy Resources (CER) for Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) to give tyres a new life as hydrogen, electricity and other reusable resources. The project aims to develop a technology to generate electricity from end-of-life tyres without harming the environment.

Each year in Australia, the equivalent of 48 million tyres reach the end of their life and only 16% of these are domestically recycled. Around two-thirds of used tyres in Australia end up in landfill, are stockpiled, illegally dumped or have an unknown fate.

Deakin scientist Professor Abbas Kouzani and his multidisciplinary team will work with CER on a project that leverages the team’s success in creating a solar panel recycling plant and capitalises on Deakin’s translational research skillsets and unique research facilities.

Kouzani said the development of novel scalable technologies that can address real-world problems is a significant challenge for the Australian recycling industry and one that he and his team are very enthusiastic about working on.

“Innovations in this space have potential for immediate global impact and can assist in solving a pressing environmental pollution problem,” he said.

While tyre recycling is happening in places around the world, including the United States, China and Turkey, what makes this project special is its focus on developing a technology that will produce no harmful emissions — not only taking us a step closer to solving one of our landfill problems but also creating a new way to generate energy without harm to the environment.

Clean Energy Resources representative Tony Carr said the end-of-life tyres pilot plant will be the first stage in CER’s circular economy vision to tackle the global challenges of clean electricity production, waste management and recycling.

“This project is the culmination of 30 years of work by members of the CER team and research across the world in recycling, which in the past 10 years has focused on zero emissions solutions for the problems the world faces with all forms of waste,” he said.

Backed by a $50 million grant from the Australian Government’s Trailblazer Universities Program, with industry and university support taking the total project value to $380 million, REACH is facilitating the development of greener supply chains and accelerating business success as markets move from a throughput economy to a circular economy.

Image: iStock.com/cnikola