- 10 new Recycling Plants will deploy RCB’s world’s first industrial-scale and environmentally sustainable solution to produce clean recovered Carbon Black (rCB® 2.0).
- Aims to bring millions of end-of-life tires into the circular economy, creating high-value industrial materials and reducing carbon footprint.
March 20, 2023, Munich, Germany: Industrialist and entrepreneur Sunjay Kapur today announced a joint venture with RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH to invest 300 million Euros in setting up plants for the industrial production of high-quality carbon black through recycling of end-of-life tires (ELTs). The venture has proposed establishing 10 new recycling plants to produce clean recovered Carbon Black (rCB® 2.0) using RCB’s world’s first industrial-scale and environmentally sustainable technology. Mr. Kapur is partnering this joint venture, via his Family Office – Aureus Investment.
RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH and Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) have developed this trailblazing technology for producing rCB® 2.0 as pure as virgin Carbon Black. Introducing the technology in India for the first time, the joint venture aims to bring millions of ELTs into the circular economy, creating high-value industrial materials and reducing carbon footprint. It is the first-of- its-kind process that replaces a full grade of carbon black in a tire and saves up to 90% of the CO2 emissions related to virgin Carbon Black. rCB® 2.0 can replace different virgin Carbon Black grades required in manufacturing tires, the mechanical rubber industry as well as in plastic and masterbatch applications, pigments, and coatings.

Commenting on the announcement, Sunjay Kapur said, “I believe in the power of innovation, and I am thrilled to collaborate with RCB Nanotechnologies to introduce this pioneering technology in India. Being the third largest automotive market in the world, it is imperative for India to enable sustainable practices in the mobility ecosystem. Through this technology, we hope to bring about a circular economy for ELTs as we remove the conventional ways of recycling and managing waste tires. The elimination or recycling of ELTs through a sustainable process will support the Indian government’s climate targets of achieving carbon neutrality by 2070 and reducing GHG emissions. Furthermore, this venture will not only create new job opportunities in the country but will also embolden the mission of making India the manufacturing hub of the world.”
The venture is in line with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister for India’s green growth and the target to achieve Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2070. The world is witnessing depletion of all types of natural resources. In such a scenario, circular economy is the demand of the hour, and we must make it a mandatory part of our lives. This project is one of the few in the world, which is truly “Circular” where 100% of the discarded tire is being reclaimed and reused.

Niels Raeder, Founder & CEO of RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH points out, “We believe nanotechnology is key to a more sustainable future. RCB Nanotechnologies specializes in the purifying of raw-recovered carbon black, which perfectly complements the sustainable circular economy for the tire industry. Our technology will enable the production of high-quality carbon black through recycling end-of-life tires in an environmentally sustainable manner. Our joint venture with Mr. Kapur is the logical step for us to successfully roll out our technology worldwide. He is a strategic investor and therefore the perfect partner for the Indian market, which we believe is the fastest growing today. His network and expertise in the automotive sector, which has grown over decades, will massively foster our common goals in India and help to get the relevant stakeholders on board.”
The first plant under the venture will have a capacity of 5,700 tons per annum (one module) of raw-rCB (raw Recovered Carbon Black) including approx. 5% Oil, 5% Zinc and 10% Silica. This will be increased to 11,400 tons per annum capacity (two modules) by the third year of operation. The first plant with one module will save over 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year while 10 plants (with 10 modules each) will help reduce over 1 million tons in CO2 emissions per year. In India and globally, ELTs are burnt in cement kilns and powerplants or processed mainly through Pyrolysis, currently.
About RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH:
RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH, Munich (Germany) was founded to commercialise and industrialise a novel technology invented by Fraunhofer IBP (patent filed). This technology has been developed for the elimination of the ash content of raw recovered Carbon Black from end-of-life tires Pyrolysis operations. As this novel “clean rCB” has a purity of 96-99% Carbon content, it can be used as a sustainable 1:1-replacement of certain virgin Carbon Blacks. In the same process, novel Silica- and Zinc-products can be extracted from the removed ash fraction. RCB Nanotechnologies holds the exclusive Global license of this disruptive technology and is in the process of setting up the first commercial plant which will be located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the coming years the company intends to set up multiple plants worldwide.
About Sunjay Kapur:
Aureus Investment is the privately held Family Office of Mr. Sunjay Kapur, that manages a diverse portfolio of investments and assets, and is deeply committed to a range of sustainable initiatives. Mr. Sunjay Kapur is also the Chairman of Sona BLW Precision Forgings Limited, one of India’s leading automotive technology companies. With over two decades of experience and expertise in the automotive industry, Mr. Kapur holds eminent positions in several autonomous industry bodies such as the Automotive Component Manufacturers’ Association of India (ACMA) and National Council of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). He also serves as independent Director on the board of several companies and is a member of the Board of Governors at the Doon School, India.
For more information, please contact:
SUNJAY KAPUR
Amena Faridi
E-Mail: amena.faridi@aureusgroup.in
Prerna Rao
E-Mail: prerna.rao@archetype.co | Tel: +91 98738 79787
RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH
Jan Diercks
E-Mail: diercks@recovered-carbon-black.com