Wastefront

About Wastefront

Founded in Oslo, Norway, in 2019 by Inge Berge, Christian A. Hvamstad, and Vegard Bringsjord, Wastefront is a company addressing the environmental problem of end-of-life-tires (ELTs). The founders possess complementary backgrounds; Berge is a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded a company that converts plastic waste to fuel, while Hvamstad contributes over two decades of experience in finance and energy transition from roles at SEB and Nordea. The company aims to establish a circular economy for tire waste, operating in the sustainable energy and waste management markets.

Wastefront's business model revolves around building and operating plants that convert ELTs into valuable commodities. A key part of its strategy involves licensing its 'Wastefront Blueprint' for global deployment, as evidenced by a strategic partnership with energy storage infrastructure provider VTTI to develop eight plants worldwide. The company generates revenue by selling the outputs of its recycling process to industrial clients. Offtake agreements are in place with major commodity traders like Vitol for the liquid hydrocarbons produced and with Weber & Schaer for the recovered carbon black. Additionally, the company has attracted investment from International Airlines Group (IAG) to support its production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

The core of Wastefront's offering is a proprietary process that combines conventional thermal depolymerisation (pyrolysis) with its own technology to break down ELTs. This process converts tires into Tyre Pyrolysis Oil (TPO), recovered Carbon Black (rCB), and combustible gas. A significant unique selling point is the subsequent processing of the TPO to create Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is projected to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by over 80% compared to traditional jet fuel. The rCB can be used in the manufacturing of new tires and other rubber products, while the gas generated is recycled back to power the plant's operations, making the system largely self-sustaining. The company's first commercial plant, located at the Port of Sunderland, UK, commenced construction and is expected to be fully operational by 2027, processing around 10 million tires annually.