UK EXPANSION

Early in 2010 FFS concluded the purchase of a significant minority stake in the UK company Re:Group (UK) Ltd, a business processing and selling industrial heating fuels. Re:Group are based in Hull, England and are in the same business as FFS South Africa.

The events leading up to this decision revolved around the EU directive on waste resulting in restrictions on the burning of waste fuels and the UK’s Quality Protocol to allow the end-of-waste de-classification of waste oils by processing to a specification. This specification limits the total ash content to less than 0,2% by mass as well as placing limits on specific metals and chlorine. With the introduction of FFS Refiners’ proprietary De-Ashed Lubrication technology (DAL), Re:Group will be able to meet these new legal requirements on used lube oil.

England is a huge generator of used lubrication oils and a world leader in their recovery. Re:Group Managing Director, Paul Waine, saw the strategic fit of FFS’ experience and technology to position his company to take advantage of the new situation, and enable him to continue growing the company beyond the new legislation. The new FFS DAL plant will enable Re:Group to produce up to 36 000 tonnes per year of a quality Processed Fuel Oil (PFO). The advantage of the FFS process is the 99% recovery of oil and the less than 1% by volume of solid waste produced. The average ash content of the final product produced by the DAL process is <0,1% by mass, making the product suitable for boiler fuel applications.