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Working for the future of safe roads
We produce high-quality materials from tar-containing asphalt, which can be used over and over again in the asphalt and concrete industry. Our positive impact goes beyond asphalt. We've honed a unique thermal cleaning process that leaves no residues, meaning all the materials become a product, such as gravel, sand, and fillers. Every contaminated material that we treat comes out as a resource that can be circled back into the economy. Efficiency is key to our business, and that's why our installations also produce clean energy, re-usable heat, and natural gas. This circular approach to how we do business fuels our daily mission to prevent landfilling and reduce the extraction and use of natural resources.
Expert treatment, done with care
We're committed to operating efficiently and effectively. It's important to us that we play our part in inspiring and educating the next generation in sustainable, secondary resources.
Unique thermal process
Our trusted treatment process not only cleans the asphalt and roofing materials of the harmful substances contained in them, but also produces valuable, high-quality products and uses the energy generated for delivering steam heating and electricity production at the same time. Tar-containing asphalt consists of the raw natural materials sand, gravel, filler, and tar as a binding agent. By heating to a high temperature, the tar is completely destroyed, and the resulting flue gases are scrubbed. What remains are more sustainable sand, gravel, and filler products.
Economy and ecology
The resulting materials are supplied as clean, certified end products such as sand, gravel, filler, and gypsum. These products are both an economic and ecological alternative for companies in the asphalt and concrete industries and the civil engineering sector. The end products are offered at competitive prices, thus helping to reduce the demand for natural materials. The large amount of heat released during the cleaning process is used to generate electricity and to supply to neighboring companies as well.
Large capacity for all solutions
Our large treatment capacity offers clients both continuity and flexibility. With an annual capacity of 1.8 million tonnes of asphalt waste, we operate Europe's largest mineral waste recycling facility. Whether your project demands continuous processing or rapid turnaround, our installations and location are designed to deliver, ensuring we can handle any volume, at any time, and provide clean, certified raw materials when you need them.
How we transform waste into resources
Pre-treatment of the asphalt
The tar-containing asphalt released during reconstruction of roads is delivered to Blue Phoenix by ship or by truck. The tar-containing asphalt is crushed in a crusher to form Tar Asphalt Granulate. After this, the cleaning process can begin.
Incineration drums & cooling
The granulate is fed into a rotating incineration drum and heated to 850–1,000 °C, where harmful tar compounds are destroyed. The hot, cleaned mineral fraction exits the drum and is cooled with ambient air; the warmed cooling air is reclaimed and returned to the drum as combustion air to improve energy efficiency and reduce gas consumption.
Afterburner and energy recovery
Flue gases are reheated in an afterburner and routed through a boiler to produce steam. That steam drives a turbine and generator to produce electricity (and can supply heat for district heating). The energy recovered from the process substantially offsets fossil fuel use — the system can generate enough electricity to serve a city-scale population in the order of tens of thousands.
Dust collection, emissions control and by-product recovery
After cooling, gases pass through high-efficiency dust collectors that capture fine particulates; the collected dust is processed and sold as ECO filler for asphalt and concrete. Gases then pass through DeNOx (catalytic) treatment to remove nitrogen oxides, and finally through a wet scrubber that absorbs sulphur oxides. The scrubber reaction with lime produces gypsum, which is pressed, dried and supplied for use in building products. Throughout these steps all emissions and residues are captured and converted into marketable, high-value outputs.
Materials to market — infrastructure
The cleaned mineral fractions and by-products are delivered to infrastructure companies as ECO materials.
Materials to market — back into the city
These recycled materials are then used in construction projects — ultimately being reincorporated into the asphalt layers as base and wearing course asphalt, completing the circular loop and returning value to the city.
Future proof products: sand, gravel, filler and gypsum
All our products derived from tar-containing asphalt are delivered with certification. We have our products analysed by external specialised and accredited laboratories in order to guarantee our desired quality level. In addition, daily measurements and checks are carried out in our own laboratory in order to meet the stipulated requirements. Our QHSE department takes care of internal audits and accompanies external auditors.
Environmental Benefits of our Process
Our approach to tar containing asphalt recycling is driven by a commitment to the circular economy and a responsibility to reduce the environmental burden of waste disposal. Instead of viewing these materials as a residual by-product to be discarded, we see it as a valuable resource waiting to be recovered.
By producing recycled aggregates, we lower the carbon emissions of construction projects and reduce dependence on virgin materials, and because our process diverts significant volumes of waste from landfill, it prevents the long-term environmental issues associated with disposal, like unnecessary land use. Learn more about our sustainability impact here.
Contact our experts today!
Partner with Blue Phoenix for efficient, reliable, and sustainable waste treatment. Our global expertise, innovative technology, and dedication to quality make us the trusted choice for our partners.