Michigan TDF Market Shrinks
Uptick in volume of tires landfilled
From the least amount of tires ever landfilled by Michigan tire processors, state officials are looking at a huge uptick starting in 2024.
Changes made to the renewable fuels legislation in 2023 have shuttered almost all TDF facilities in Michigan, Kirsten Clemens, an environmental engineer with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), and coordinator of the state’s scrap tire program, said.
And a change in Michigan law only accelerated the move away from tire burning.
When Michigan lawmakers overhauled the state’s energy laws in 2023 to set new, aggressive targets for ramping up clean energy in the face of the climate crisis, they entirely excluded biomass plants burning tires from qualifying as renewable energy.
That meant several biomass facilities suddenly stopped using tire fuels, to be able to continue providing renewable credits for the power they produced.
After this, only three will remain as five other TDF facilities have or will be closing.
Holcim LaFarge only burns whole tires and is having difficulties getting 2.2 million whole tires in Alpena, Clemens said. The legislature provided $3 million in funding from the Scrap Tire Regulatory Fund for installation of TDF burning equipment.
One of the National Energy plants in Michigan will be utilizing parts from the other National Energy plant in the state to stay in operation to burn biomass.
While it’s unsure how long this plant will stay in operation long term, it will hopefully also assist with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) management of the Kirtland Warbler Habitat, Clemens said. Reforestation of jack pines for Kirtland Warblers generates a large amount of biomass that has historically been utilized at a co-fired TDF/biomass energy facility, she explained.
The Packaging Corp. of America paper plant is utilizing TDF to co-fire plant generated waste for fuel. EGLE provided grant funding for installation of the co-fired boiler.
Given the shrinking TDF market, Clemens said there is a very real possibility” that we start seeing a lot more tire dumping due to these changes and from tipping fee changes under P115.
On the positive side, Clemens said that the use of tire-derived ground rubber in Michigan’s roads continues to grow while ongoing testing of both road performance and environmental impact continues to show good results.
© Scrap Tire News, February 2025