Bolder Industries Receives EU Grant For Belgium Facility

New facility to support circular economy in Europe, targeting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

Calling it a landmark achievement in its global expansion efforts, Bolder said the grant marks a significant endorsement of its progressive approach to sustainable materials as a circular solutions provider for rubber, plastics, and petrochemical industries.

Bolder Industries’ end-of-life tire (ELT) pyrolysis project was one of 85 initiatives selected by the EU to receive grants under its €4.8-billion net-zero fund, supporting the deployment of clean technologies across Europe.

The Antwerp facility is projected to achieve up to an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional virgin carbon black production.

The Flanders region has committed an additional €2 million to support the construction of Bolder Industries’ new state-of-the-art facility at the Port of Antwerp.

Bolder said the planned Antwerp plant, will be modeled after its facility in Missouri, with four proprietary reactors, an advanced finishing line and will use wind power and heat generated at the location for its energy needs.

The Antwerp facility is designed to process over 4 million end-of-life tires annually.

“This increased production capacity will accelerate the availability of the company’s flagship sustainable raw materials, BolderBlack™ and BolderOil™, to meet the rising global demand for eco-friendly alternatives, and also serve as a template for sustainable manufacturing practices in Europe, the company said.

Bolder’s proprietary material science process repurposes the chemicals in end-of-life tires to create BolderBlack® and BolderOil™ for rubber, plastic, and petrochemicals supply chains and their new product outputs. In this recovery process, 98 percent of the tire’s materials are utilized and 75 percent of the solids and liquids make their way back into new tires, manufactured rubber goods, and plastics.

According to the company, BolderBlack is currently in more than 3,000 commercial products including passenger tires, wetsuits, belts, hoses, automotive plastic parts and coatings.

BolderOil™ is also providing sustainable attributes to renewable fuels, traditional carbon black production, process oils and solvents.

“This is more than a grant—it’s an investment in the future of sustainable manufacturing,” Tony Wibbeler, Founder & CEO of Bolder Industries, said.  “Support from the European Commission and the Flanders region validates the innovation at the heart of our technology and the critical need for sustainable solutions across the globe. This allows us to create a blueprint for a greener, more circular future.”

Bolder Industries’  project, known as NextGen thermal tire re-use, is part of the Port of Antwerp’s NextGen District and aligns with the EU’s goals to reduce emissions and advance industrial decarbonization.

The NextGen District invites innovators to bring their vision to life. To design, develop and execute projects that initiate real change. From linear to circular. From factories to networks. From using to reusing.

According to Port of Antwerp officials Bolder Industries and Triple Helix are the first concessionaires.  “The commitment of two pioneers, Triple Helix and Bolder Industries, is an important milestone in securing this future circular economy hotspot,” officials said.

NextGen District is expected to become the future circular economy hotspot in the Port of Antwerp, on the former General Motors site, a large area close to Europe’s largest chemical cluster for the circular economy. The District is designed for innovative players in the circular process and manufacturing industry to give end-of-life products, including tires, a second or third life, explore circular carbon solutions particularly recovered carbon black and carry out experiments with renewable energy.

Proximity to this cluster provides the opportunity to share resources and further reduce Bolder’s carbon footprint, Michael Murray, Vice President, Global Sales, said.

It’s one of the reasons the company chose the Antwerp-Bruges region for the plant. In addition, canal, deep water, rail and motorway access to the Port of Antwerp provides sustainable and economically attractive delivery options for Bolder’s global customer base, Murray said.

“As Bolder’s first facility of this scale in Europe, the Antwerp plant is a foundational step in the company’s broader European growth strategy,” Wim Van den Broeck, Bolder Industries Director of Project Development.

Construction of the facility will begin in 2026, with full operational capacity anticipated by 2027.”

Bolder credits the success of the grant application, in part, to the support of Moore Grants & Incentives, whose expertise throughout the process has helped make a difference.