Bolder Industries has received final permitting to build its first European manufacturing facility in the NextGen District at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, marking a regulatory milestone for the company’s planned expansion into Europe. The commercial-scale facility will process end-of-life tires through continuous thermal pyrolysis to produce recovered carbon black and tire-derived oil for use in rubber, tire, plastics, petrochemical and industrial manufacturing markets. Backed by the EU Innovation Fund and equity investment from Tiger Infrastructure Partners, the project is designed to support Europe’s circular raw material infrastructure by replacing part of the demand for fossil fuel-derived virgin carbon black with traceable, mass-balanced alternatives. At full capacity, the site is expected to process around 6 million end-of-life tires annually, with Bolder Industries reporting potential lifecycle greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 85% compared with virgin carbon black production.

Facility to produce recovered carbon black and tire-derived oil

The Antwerp facility will produce two ISCC PLUS-certified and mass-balanced products: BolderBlack and BolderOil. BolderBlack is a recovered carbon black intended for applications in tires, rubber goods, plastics, inks and coatings, while BolderOil is a pyrolysis oil produced from end-of-life tires and positioned as a lower-carbon feedstock for fuels, industrial process applications and chemical production. According to Bolder Industries, BolderBlack has been validated in more than 3,000 commercial applications, and both BolderBlack and BolderOil are already in commercial use with the company’s North American customers.

EU Innovation Fund supports circular material production

The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Innovation Fund, which supports demonstration projects for low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries. Bolder Industries said the facility fits this objective by showing how industrial manufacturing can reduce emissions through the use of recovered carbon black and other circular raw materials. The company said the Antwerp site will contribute to tire recycling by converting end-of-life tires into products that can re-enter industrial supply chains instead of relying only on conventional fossil-based feedstocks.

Project planned in two phases

The permit covers an 86,000-metric-ton design capacity site that will be built in two phases. Phase 1 will bring the European facility to 43,000 metric tons of annual design capacity and is expected to create more than 50 jobs in the Antwerp region. Phase 2 will expand the facility to full capacity. The plant will use Bolder Industries’ proprietary continuous thermal pyrolysis process, which the company said can recover approximately 98% of each tire’s material content. According to the company, no objections were filed during the required public consultation periods.

Plant designed to process millions of end-of-life tires

At full operating capacity, the Antwerp facility is designed to divert approximately 6 million end-of-life tires annually. Bolder Industries said the site is expected to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% compared with virgin carbon black production and avoid approximately 606,000 metric tons of CO2e over its first decade. These projected reductions are linked to the replacement of conventional carbon black with recovered carbon black and the production of circular tire-derived oil through pyrolysis.

Port of Antwerp-Bruges supports circular raw material infrastructure

Tony Wibbeler, CEO of Bolder Industries, said the permit is an important milestone in the development of the company’s European platform and its plans to supply BolderBlack and BolderOil to global customers. Rob Smeets, CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said the NextGen District was designed for infrastructure that turns sustainability goals into operational projects. Bolder Industries worked with Belgian partners OSQB, United Experts, Antea Group and Cyclops during the permitting process, and contractor selection is now advancing.

European site adds to Bolder’s North American operations

The Antwerp project will add European manufacturing capacity to Bolder Industries’ existing commercial operations in Maryville, Missouri, and Terre Haute, Indiana. The company said the expansion supports its development into a multi-site circular materials platform serving global rubber, tire, plastics and industrial manufacturing markets. Bolder Industries converts end-of-life tires into recovered carbon black and tire-derived oil for use in circular manufacturing applications. The company is ISO 9001 certified and holds a Bronze EcoVadis rating.

Source: press release by Bolder Industries.