Tyres, as we know, are ring-shaped components that surround a wheel’s rim to provide traction on the surface over which the wheel travels. Car tyres are a major global waste problem as used tyres have been dumped into landfills and water bodies thereby affecting the aquatic environment.
When tyres are thrown into landfills and dumpsites, the chemicals used in their composition are released into the soil and air, hence causing pollution. Thankfully with the advent of recycling, these tyres can be recycled for different purposes; one of them is the use of tyres to generate electricity.
How is this possible?
The key ingredient in tyre production is a synthetic rubber, gotten from petroleum. This synthetic rubber is a good source of energy production. The steps involved include separating the irons embedded in the tyres and a machine is then used to chew up the rubber. The churned rubber is burned in the absence of oxygen through a process known as pyrolysis to produce pyrolytic oil. This oil can then be used in the generation of electricity.
They’re quite a good fuel, as they are energy-dense as coal and do not produce nitrous oxides. Where they displace coals, tyres could be considered a greener option.
How lucrative is this?
Presently, a pipeline company in Eastern Turkey has adopted this process and is currently generating electricity for 30,000 homes. According to ERA Environmental Technologies, this form of energy production generates about 8 million dollars to Turkeys economy.
In Nigeria, thousands of tons of tyres are abandoned in dumpsites and landfills although a few of them are recycled to produce other materials, most of them are laying around causing pollution. This development of using tyres to generate electricity would indeed increase our electric power generation, make our environment sustainable and increase the GDP of our economy.
This opportunity should be adopted all over the world as it would help eliminate the slowly decomposing waste of rubber tyres, make our environment safer and help reduce our dependence on fossil fuel sources.