Protecting One of Europe's Largest Tyre Recycling Facilities with Respondol ATF 3/3%

Written By Byron Lawton

The transition to a circular economy creates opportunities to recover valuable resources from waste streams, while also introducing complex fire protection challenges.

Located in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, the Circtec facility is one of Europe's most advanced tyre recycling plants. It processes approximately 180,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres every year, converting discarded tyres into valuable raw materials, including recovered carbon black, pyrolysis oil, steel and process gases that can be reused across a range of industries.

Because the facility handles large volumes of flammable materials on-site, operates at elevated process temperatures and uses complex industrial processes, fire safety was integrated from the earliest stages of design. As a result, the plant has been classified as an upper-tier SEVESO establishment, underscoring the need for reliable risk management and effective fire protection systems.

The Challenge

The facility's operations present a range of fire hazards, including:

  • Storage and handling of flammable liquids and recovered materials.

  • High-temperature pyrolysis processes operating at approximately 400°C.

  • Potential fire and explosion risks associated with hydrocarbons and ATEX-designated areas.

  • The need to rapidly detect and suppress incidents before they can escalate.

Protecting these hazards required a foam concentrate that could deliver proven suppression performance while also supporting the facility's environmental objectives.

The Solution

To meet that need, the site's fire protection systems utilise Angus Respondol ATF 3/3, a synthetic, fluorine-free foam concentrate (F3) designed to deliver high-performance fire suppression without intentionally added PFAS.

Respondol ATF 3/3 is certified to:

  • EN 1568 Parts 3 & 4

  • UL 162

  • LASTFIRE

  • IMO

  • GreenScreen

The foam system protects critical risk areas, including bunded storage areas, process equipment and tanks containing flammable substances. Continuous monitoring of pressure, flow, temperature and volume helps ensure the system remains ready for deployment at all times.

Independently Proven Performance

A key factor in the selection of Respondol was its demonstrated fire performance. According to the published case study, independent selection tests conducted by the Joint Industrial Fire Service Rotterdam identified Angus Respondol ATF 3/3 as the best-performing fluorine-free foam concentrate for fire suppression, giving the buyer confidence in the choice. This independent validation provided confidence that the facility could achieve both effective fire protection and its sustainability ambitions without compromise.

Protecting the Future of the Circular Industry

The project demonstrates that, as industrial operators transition to more sustainable practices, they do not have to sacrifice fire protection performance. By selecting Angus Respondol ATF 3/3, one of Europe's most innovative recycling facilities has implemented a fire protection strategy that combines proven suppression capability, environmental responsibility and long-term operational resilience.

Byron Lawton