Bolder Industries takes off in NextGen District Antwerp

Bolder Industries takes off in NextGen District Antwerp

American Bolder Industries, which specializes in recycling tires, is taking its first steps in Europe. The company presented on Nov. 3 its partners with whom it is entering the permitting and construction phase of the site in the NextGen District.

Bolder Industries, which early this year was one of the first companies to sign the concession agreement on the NextGen District, yesterday announced its collaboration with Antea Group, Cyclops and OSQB. With those local, Flemish partners, it will enter the permitting phase. Dries Van Gheluwe, business development advisor for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “This is a major investment for the NextGen District. The total area Bolder Industries will occupy is a 6-hectare area.”

Wim Van den Broeck, new director of project development at Bolder Industries, on the choice of partners, “Antea Group will guide us with the permit application (including the environmental application). OSQB is the architect who will design the concept of the buildings, submit the building permit and supervise the construction of the civil part. Cyclops from Mechelen will take care of the project management.”

NextGen

It is a first for American Bolder Industries in Europe. As to why Antwerp was chosen, Van den Broeck says, “Bolder Industries currently has two plants in the United States. In addition to being the first plant outside the U.S., Antwerp will also become the European headquarters from which Bolder wants to move further into Europe. The choice of Antwerp grew out of our customer portfolio. We want to be close to our customers and in a place where ‘Bolder Black’ (recovered carbon black) is needed.”

Owners representative

Cyclops of Mechelen is acting as owners representative throughout the project. CEO of Cyclops, Ruth Van Hellemont: “In addition to coordinating the various parties as Wim’s right hand and project management, we will prepare the specifications, contractors will be selected through a tender process and competitions will be sent out. Then we will receive the quotes from contractors. Once the construction works start, we hope to take full charge of the technical coordination and follow-up of the site. In a similar way, we are already working with TripleHelix, the first concessionaire of the NextGen District.”

To nine reactors

Both Triple Helix and Bolder Industries are in the permitting phase. A status of the other concessionaires will be announced by Port of Antwerp-Bruges later this year.

“Depending on how the permit applications go, we aim to start construction in the second half of 2023 and then effectively start up in 2024,” said Van den Broeck. “We are initially building three reactors. Afterwards, we want to expand further to nine reactors. We estimate that we will eventually employ a hundred people in Antwerp.”

© Flows, Bart Meyvis