Revolution in recycling: 29.4 million euros for Europe's largest pyrolysis plant!

Revolution in recycling: 29.4 million euros for Europe's largest pyrolysis plant!

A significant development for the European circular economy was announced today: Pyrum Innovations AG will receive funding of 29.4 million euros from the European Innovation Fund (EIF) for an extensive recycling project in Greece. This investment is intended to create one of the largest pyrolysis plants in Europe, which can recycle used tires in an environmentally friendly way. The project's partner, Thermo Lysi SA, will work together with Pyrum to implement the plant, which is expected to have a recycling capacity of 45,000 tons of used tires per year. The total investment for this project amounts to around 100 million euros.

The location of the planned facility is approximately 140 kilometers north of Athens in the Livanates region. All necessary permits for the construction and operation of the facility have already been obtained and an engineering contract worth 2.2 million euros has been signed. Detail engineering is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2026. Pyrum plans to invest at least 10% in the project company's equity. This marks a further step in the development of thermolysis technology, which the company has been developing since 2008 for almost emission-free recycling of used tires and plastics.

Progress in the recycling sector

The new facility will not only expand recycling capacities in Europe, but also recover products such as thermolysis oil and recovered carbon black (rCB). These products find applications at large companies such as BASF and Continental. Pyrum's first recycling plant in Dillingen/Saar has been in continuous operation since 2020.

The latest developments in recycling are part of a larger trend in Europe, where 65 chemical recycling projects are currently active, as an interactive map from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT shows. This map provides comprehensive information about installed systems, technologies and their capacities. There are currently 18 plants in operation in Europe, with a total processing capacity of 289 kt/a, with pyrolysis being the dominant technology.

Challenges of European recycling

Despite these advances, the European recycling industry faces challenges. Lower prices for fossil raw materials, high energy costs and the increasing imports of recyclates from Asia are putting considerable pressure on competitiveness. In addition, there are uncertainties in the EU regulations for chemical recycling, which could deter potential investors.

However, despite competition from countries such as China, South Korea and Japan, Europe remains an innovation leader in plastic waste management. Although the more advanced recycling technologies still struggle with problems in terms of operational stability and product quality, research and development in this area is continuously progressing. The current data set from Fraunhofer UMSICHT is updated regularly in order to keep progress in chemical recycling transparent.