ARN, the Dutch center that coordinates end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling in the Netherlands, has reported that in 2013 its PST plant in Tiel, Netherlands, was able to process 38,000 metric tons of auto shredder residue (ASR). “We now have sufficient capacity to process all the automotive shredder waste from all Dutch ELVs,” says Hans van de Greef, ARN’s director.

Van de Greef says that by improving the structure of maintenance and providing training to operators who work the line, ARN’s PST plant succeeded in significantly increasing capacity at the facility in 2013. “We are now at the 38,000-metric ton mark. With that capacity, ARN can fulfil its obligation of recycling 95 percent of all ELVs,” van de Greef comments.

ARN says it is searching for investors to open a separate factory for the production of Crusca panels. Crusca panels, which can be used to shore up the banks of rivers, ditches and ponds, are one of the end products ARN is developing to consume the plastics extracted from ARN’s recycling plant.

“We have drawn up a bid book with our business case, on the basis of which PNO Consultants will approach individual entrepreneurs,” says van de Greef. “In that way, we hope to find a partner who is willing to take up the challenge of establishing the Crusca plant together with a group of investors.”

Van de Greef concludes, “We believe in our ability to sell kilometers of our material to this market, and we hope that in the future the panels will also be used for noise abatement screens.”