Can you tell us about the background of Radhe Renewable Energy and what was the idea behind the development of the 100 MTPD  single reactor continuous pyrolysis plant?

During our travels around India 25 years ago, we used to find farmers burning the agricultural stubble and waste to clear the fields for the next sowing. This used to cause a lot of pollution. With our understanding of hydrocarbons, we decided to create resource out of this waste. We started Radhe Renewable Energy with the idea of creating green fuels from many types of wastes that caused pollution and were a big disposal issue then. Our initial projects were to convert agricultural waste into valuable briquettes which replaced conventional fossil fuels like coal and furnace oil.

Being a hardcore and focused waste-to-energy company, we understood the chemistry of biomass and the future potential of green fuel from biomass. We persisted to find ways to convert rural agricultural waste into wealth with green environment and for sustainable growth of rural India. Our creative and dedicated team moved forward to develop biomass gasification technology to replace fossil liquid fuel in process industries like ceramics, chemical and steel industries with the use of solid biomass briquettes. We were the first company to develop and manufacture industrial scale size biomass and coal gasification technology and replace complete liquid fuel from ceramic industries near Rajkot, India. This reduced the import dependency of coal as fuel. Our team understands the mindset of process industries. We continuously strive to develop technologies that are not only cutting edge but which also create value for the capital invested. We understand that the lifecycle cost is as important as the acquisition cost in India and the other Asian markets. Last but not least, we are completely dedicated to operational safety and sustainable solutions for our clients.

Radhe Renewable Energy has supplied more than 500 biomass and coal gasification technology plants to the various process industries with successful track record in synchronising clients’ processes with gasification. Over this period, our team has gained considerable experience working with big corporates of India (process houses like TATA chemical, H&R Johnson tiles, Somani, Vedanta group, Mahindra, Steel Ispat etc.). We also gained the experience of major process of steel, drying, fertilizer, petrochemical, food, pharma, rubber and mineral industries.

It was in the year 2006 that we started working on a project to convert waste tyres and municipal solid wastes into valuable products. We were the first amongst many who saw the potential of converting this waste into green fuels at that time. We already had lots of experience to convert biomass into char to get charcoal and gas with fast pyrolysis.

What kept you investing in and developing the continuous pyrolysis technology when everyone else was selling thousands of cheaper batch type plants in India?

Equipped with the vast experience that our team had of all process industries, we knew that we wanted to do a revolutionary work in this tyre pyrolysis field too. Hydrocarbon is a big subject. You must handle them properly with full safety, environmental concern, and efficient and stable operation. You cannot think for cheaper batch type technology. We just did not want to do what other small companies were involved in – basically, copying environmentally non-compliant batch type plants from China and selling it in India. The batch type plants were very unsafe to operate, leading to many fires and explosions. The smell and the gases released have affected thousands of people in the last 10 years of their operations across Indian towns and cities.  

We chose to take the higher road. We decided to develop and build the best technology plant that India will be proud of. It was an uphill task with huge work and investments involved. It took about three years for a lab scale trial plant to come up. We started scaling up later. It has taken us more than seven years to reach our patented full commercial scale 100 TPD single reactor continuous waste tyre pyrolysis plant.

We can proudly boast that we could perhaps be the only manufacturer to have the largest single reactor 100 TPD continuous plant running successfully for the last nine years. It is sometimes hard to believe that an Indian company can develop and deliver a global technology that can challenge the world in price and performance. The world is amazed with what they see when they understand our technology and offerings. Today, we can offer plants meeting European standards and compliances at about one-fourth of the cost of the European manufacturers. None of them have a 100 TPD show plant operating for as long as we have.

How was the journey in developing indigenous technology for upgrading Recovered Carbon Black (rCB)?

Since the last 25 years, we been working with hydrocarbons, and we know the importance of carbon in daily life. Conventional world is producing carbon black from firing of furnace oil with highly polluting industrial process. At present, the world has few options in making carbon black. These processes consume lots of natural resources and are polluting in nature. Carbon is backbone for many products like rubber, tyre, plastics, Bakelite, minerals, graphite, metal etc. With waste tyre pyrolysis process, we are deriving carbon free without use of any natural resources and without any polluting process. Our continuous pyrolysis process is completely environmentally friendly with almost zero discharge. This process also generates surplus energy for other applications. We understood the importance in upgrading the carbon char generated during the process and worked on it for the more than three years. We were finally able to develop the process to upgrade the rCB to commercial grades successfully. Our rCB is a much sought-after derivative in the Indian market and is being exported across the globe.

How do you evaluate the tyre industry in India? What makes you bet on the carbon black business?

The Indian tyre industry is on a phenomenal growth trajectory and is now very receptive to ideas on sustainability and reuse of recycled materials. We are in active dialogue with many rubber and tyre companies for exploring opportunities to work together with regards to the production and usage of our rCB,

Silica is being aggressively adopted by the tyre industry as a reinforcement material due to tightening of the safety and environmental norms? How will this, according to you, pose a challenge for the rCB industry?

Silica is a useful ingredient of tyre and rubber, which is also found in rCB. As silica is extensively being adopted by the tyre industry, we feel our rCB is absolutely apt for the tyre industry. This will meet both their objectives together – sustainability and reinforcement.

Could you highlight the production capabilities?

Currently, we have 750-800 MT/month rCB production capacity. In the next two years, we will have 300 percent of this capacity in India and about 400 percent of this capacity in the rest of the world. Our brand is Hi-Green carbon black.

Could you talk about the markets the company taps? Are you looking to tap new markets?

We have now opened our doors to companies wanting to set up tyre pyrolysis plants with carbon upgradation systems. The response is overwhelming. We have inquiries coming from all over the world. Initially, people were sceptical if we really had done what we say. They are impressed when they visit our facility. We are now in active dialogue with at least 5-6 companies across Europe and the USA. The future looks very bright.  

Do you think there is a need for further collaboration between CB producers and tyre companies?

Yes … definitely, this is a marriage that will last. Tyre companies will be able to complete the circular economy loop. It is a win-win for all.

What are your future plans?

To establish high capacity plants in highly aware European, US, UK and Australian markets and create an ecosystem for high quality tyre-derived oil and rCB. We have started the process to appoint channel partners in Europe and many other strategic markets. We will have our footprints in these markets in the next 24 months.

What are the challenges in the business?

Opportunities and challenges are two sides of the same coin. We always felt that most companies look at the path of least resistance and miss out on the major learning which leads to greatness.

We have built the technology on our own. We have had to invest into the development with our own resources. If we were in Europe or other first world countries, we would have had access to low-cost funding, especially for R&D.

The other challenges in India and other Asian markets are the ever-changing government norms. Quite often, we find that these environmental norms do not have any ground connect. The norms are often formed without proper evaluation of technology merits and guided by local sources. For example, waste tyres are still classified in the hazardous waste category. Strangely, coal and biomass does not classify as hazardous waste. We fail to understand the logic behind such norms. These matters hinder the growth of the right technologies.

Despite all these challenges, we have been able to make our mark in the country.We now look forward to setting our footprints across the globe. (TT)

Pirelli is all set to become the official tyre supplier to MotoGP from 2027. A new five-year agreement is in the works and will see the Italian tyre company become the single tyre supplier for the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 categories.

With the new MotoGP bikes and technical regulations scheduled to take effect in 2027, the approach of using a single supplier will offer the ideal progression ladder for the future champions to refine their skills while advancing to the top. Pirelli currently supplies tyres for Moto2 and Moto3 categories. With the new development, Pirelli will expand its presence to MotoGP and into MotoE, the electric world championship.

Michelin will remain the exclusive supplier for MotoGP and MotoE until the end of the current technical regulations at the close of the 2026 season, continuing to provide technical support, its products and world class technology over the next two seasons.

Nexen Tire’s NBlue 4S Van tyre has won the Best Light Commercial Tire award at the 22nd edition of the Tire of the Year Awards.

Neumáticos & Mecánica Rápida organised the esteemed awards ceremony, which took place on 30 January at the Novotel Madrid Center hotel. It honoured the top tyres of 2024 in the passenger vehicle, SUV, truck and agricultural tyre divisions. Key figures from the business, including executives from well-known tyre manufacturers such as Pirelli, Continental, Yokohama, Michelin and Bridgestone, attended the event. Raúl Jiménez, Nexen Tire’s Business Development Director for Iberia, accepted the award on behalf of the company from Eusebio Albert, Director of the Transport area at Versys Ediciones.

The NBlue 4S Van, a tyre made to satisfy the exacting requirements of commercial fleets and drivers, is recognised for its superior performance, safety and fuel efficiency with the Best Light Commercial Tire award. This accolade comes as Nexen Tire solidifies its position as a top producer of premium tyres by expanding its footprint in Europe and throughout the world.

Jiménez said, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious award, which is a testament to our ongoing dedication to providing award-winning products for our customers. The NBlue 4S Van is designed to offer superior performance and durability, and this recognition reinforces our commitment to delivering the best solutions to the commercial sector.”

Pirelli is mulling expansion of its tyre production capacity in the US to offset the impact of US tariffs that came into effect from 4 March, company executives said on a 2024 financial results call.

The company has a contingency plan in place to deal with the US imposing 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada. CFO Andrea Casaluci clarified that although Pirelli's US business accounted for over 20 percent of company sales, the amount of tyre manufacture there is restricted. The company's Georgia plant can produce about 400,000 tyres annually. Pirelli imports about half of its US supply from Mexico and around 40 percent from Brazil and Europe in order to fulfil market demand in the US.

Pirelli has a backup plan to boost imports from Brazil and expand US production capacity in order to lessen the effects of tariffs. According to the CFO, the Italian tyre manufacturer has already begun modernising the automated MIRS production processes in Georgia. This will serve as the foundation for the initial phase of capacity development in the US.

Additionally, the inflationary scenario will be used to examine the group's commercial approach. The CFO stated that since 30 percent of the US tyre market is imported, some inflationary pressure is to be expected in the wake of tariffs. The contingency plan also includes cost-cutting measures, in addition to the EUR 150 million in savings in 2025 that are anticipated under its industrial plan.

Nokian Tyres has launched the Seasonproof 2 all-season tyre for the Central European market to provide top-class safety on snow and slush as well as exceptional performance in summer for its customers.

The all-season Seasonproof 2 was created to satisfy the demands of drivers in Central and South Europe. By the fall of 2025, the product line will be accessible to customers in sizes for contemporary passenger cars, SUVs and CUVs. All-season tyres are made to function safely in Central European circumstances throughout the four seasons. The Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2 is legally certified for winter use since it bears the Snowflake emblem (3PMSF). 

The tyre range includes up to 38 percent recycled, renewable and ISCC PLUS certified materials, with two percent coming from bio-based, bio-circular and/or circular feedstock that has been certified using the ISCC PLUS mass balanced technique. The introduction is a significant step toward the company's non-financial goal of increasing the proportion of recycled and renewable raw materials in its products to 50 percent by 2030. Additionally, it is the first tyre range available on the market to be manufactured in Nokia's new Romanian facility, the first fully operational tyre factory with zero CO2 emissions.

Tommi Alhola, Senior Vice President of Passenger Car Tyres, Central Europe for Nokian Tyres, said, “Central Europe is an important strategic growth area for Nokian Tyres. Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2 is produced in our zero CO2 emission tyre factory in Oradea, Romania, close to the Central European consumers and customers. Furthermore, launching a tyre range using up to 38 percent renewable, recycled and ISCC PLUS certified materials takes us significantly closer to our goal of using 50 percent renewable and recycled materials in our tyres by 2030.”

Teemu Soini, Vice President of Innovations and Development at Nokian Tyres, said, “By incorporating renewable materials, we have been able to boost the tyre’s performance while also lowering the rolling resistance. We are committed to finding renewable or recycled options for traditional fossil-based materials, and together with various partners keep researching for new innovative options.”