From its original, small test and development operation in Longfield, Kent, QMRE has made an ambitious move into 25,000 sq. ft. factory/office suites in Kingsnorth Industrial Estate, Hoo, Rochester, Kent.
The factory is currently being fitted out to facilitate a 24-hour shift system where QMRE’s/Eagle Technology’s VIXLA system will process plastic waste back into its original constituent part – oil – before being further processed back into new and renewable plastic.
Eagle Technology partnership
QMRE’s technology partner is Eagle Technology of Norway. The partnership with Eagle has been cemented with the results of QMRE’s three years of operating experience with its test and development pyrolysis system at the site in Longfield.
The results have been fed into Eagle’s production processes and have resulted in creating what is effectively a thermolysis driven plastic waste to oil system.
With years of experience in pyrolysis technology through their patented ITDU technology (Induction Thermal Disorption Unit) in Norway, treating 70 metric tons of drill cuttings daily, Eagle laid the foundation for the VIXLA system.
VIXLA
VIXLA is Norse for transformation and QMRE’s plans for a nationwide network of VIXLA systems will certainly transform the UK’s approach to dealing with the problem of plastic waste pollution.
A typical QMRE VIXLA system will convert 5,000kg of plastic waste into 5,000 litres of QUEL (pyro-oil) – 85% of the total, 12% gas used to heat the process and 3% carbon ash, used in construction products. The system – the V5 – operates for 330 days of the year. The V5 will allow 550-600,000 tonnes of plastic waste to be recycled per annum, which is 10-12% of the 2021 plastic waste figures. (Source: ORA -Original Recycling Association, 2022).
The QUEL will be sold to plastic cracking companies who will use it to make new and renewable plastic in lieu of using feedstocks from fossil fuels.
Tim StClair-Pearce, QMRE CEO, said: “This is a highly significant chapter in the development of QMRE’s nationwide network of plastic waste-2-oil systems. We have spent several years, large sums of investment funds and persevered with finding the right engineering solutions to reach the stage where we can begin to start the roll-out of the network.”
Dave Garbett, QMRE’s Property & Sales director, added: “The Hoo site will allow us to test and develop our engineering operation and provides plenty of scope for expansion.”
Image credit: QMRE