Shredded end-of-life tyres will no longer have to be transferred interstate for further processing after a government grant was awarded.
The $1.27 million Waste Tyre Reprocessing Grant Program was awarded to Tyrecycle and announced at last week's Tasmanian Waste and Resource Recovery Forum.
Minister for Parks and Environment, Nick Duigan, toured the Bridgewater facility today.
"It was fantastic to see how this grant will be used," Minister Duigan said.
"Previously, end-of-life tyres collected from around Tasmania were pre-processed using the existing machine at Barwick's and then manufactured into five-centimetre Tyre Derived Fuel chips using the new chipper.
"For the last decade or so in Tasmania, waste tyres have been collected and shredded in Tasmania by Barwick's, but only to a large size, which then required more processing in Melbourne.
"Because of this grant, the upgraded facility at Bridgewater will create a value-added product that can be used as an alternative fuel for coal in a range of industrial processes, such as cement production."
"Due to the high energy content of tyres, when tyre derived fuel is used in place of coal it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 30 per cent," Minister Duigan said.
"This will help reduce Tasmanian carbon emissions and provide a more sustainable use for the 650,000 end-of-life car tyres collected each year in the state."
The grant is being offered under the $3 million Waste Tyre Reprocessing Grant Program, which was established to help find sustainable uses for end-of-life tyres in Tasmania.
As the largest tyre recycler in Australia, Tyrecycle has extensive experience in providing tyre derived fuel to industry across the world.
The upgrades bring confidence for the local business, providing job certainty for Tyrecycles employees, a key part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future.
Grants like these ensure we can continue to build on the gains made over the past 10 years to deliver a stronger economy and jobs for Tasmanians into the future.
The use of this fuel in any Tasmanian facility would be subject to relevant planning and environmental approvals.
