A heating and cooling company is planning a test burn of 45,000 scrap tires mixed with wood chips at an Akron plant.
Akron Thermal Ltd. Partnership, which generates steam heat for many of the city's buildings, will conduct the test burns involving shredded tires in late June or early July, according to Rick Pucak, general manager of Akron Thermal. He said the company has never burned tires before as a fuel. Approximately 30 to 50 tons of tire shreds per day will be consumed by the test.
Mr. Pucak said the mix to be used in the test calls for 90 percent wood chips, 10 percent tire shreds, a ratio determined by the equipment's capability to meet state emissions standards.
The company currently is working on finding a scrap tire supplier and also is awaiting permits from the Environmental Protection Agency. If the test is successful, the firm said it will use more tire shreds as fuel for its three boilers.
Akron Thermal received a state grant of $310,000 May 14 for the equipment necessary to conduct the test burn, Mr. Pucak said. The company will pay an additional $450,000. The testing itself will cost about $40,000.
Akron Thermal is a subsidiary of Youngstown, Ohio-based Thermal Ventures.