Franklin County startup company turning tires into energy looking to grow
NEWS COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON.
>> START UP COMPANY. THAT TURNS
TIRES, TIRES INTO CLEAN ENERGY
IS LOOKING TO EXPAND FROM
FRANKLIN COUNTY REALLY AROUND
THE WORLD. WRAL'S KEENAN,
WILLARD SHOWS US HOW THE
GOVERNOR SAYS P R T I COULD
BE PART OF THE FUTURE OF
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
THEY MAY LOOK ALMOST LIKE A
JUNKYARD, BUT THIS PILE OF
HUNDREDS OF TIRES IS ACTUALLY
FUELING ONE OF THE MOST
HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES IN THE
STATE.
>> IT STARTED HERE IN FRANKLIN
COUNTY, BUT IT'S ABOUT TO GET
MUCH BIGGER US. ONE SOUTH OF
FRANKLINTON GOVERNOR COOPER
TOWARD A RECYCLING PLANT TODAY.
IT'S AN UNLIKELY PLACE TO FIND
A PROCESS THAT'S NEVER BEEN
DONE IN THIS COUNTRY BEFORE.
NOT ONLY ARE WE WORKING TO
SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF ICE TIME
AS WE TAKE THAT FURTHER IN
TIME, THE THAT TIES INTO POWER,
A PRT, I SAYS THEY'VE CREATED A
TECHNOLOGY CALLED THERMAL.
THE MANUFACTURER TAKES RUBBER
TIRES AND CONVERTS THEM INTO
OIL. CARBON STEEL AND ENERGY
WITH 0 WASTE CREATED IN THE
PAST 5 YEARS. PRT ICE IS THE
FIRST CYCLE. MORE THAN
15 MILLION POUNDS OF TIRES
HERE. AND THIS COMPANY, I
THINK, HAS FOUND A SECRET.
>> THAT THEY TAKE THESE THEY
USE THEIR PROCESS
AND PRODUCE BY PRODUCTS OF
STEEL AND ENERGY IN ORDER TO
RUN THEIR OWN DATA SYSTEM.
>> PRT, I IS USING THE ENERGY
FROM THESE TIRES TO POWER A
BLOCK CHAIN COMPUTING PLAN.
THEY ALSO SAY THEY'RE READY
TO EXPAND BEYOND FRANKLIN
COUNTY, HOPING TO GROW TO 800
FACILITIES WORLDWIDE. THEY PLAN
TO START WITH 4 MORE LOCATIONS
IN NORTH CAROLINA, CREATING AT
LEAST 150 JOBS IN TERMS
INVESTMENT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S
>> HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. BUT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENT IN SOLVING THE
PROBLEM WITH THAT, WE WILL BE
EXITING EVERY TIME WE CHANGE
TIRES AS THE STATE CONTINUES TO
SEE RAPID GROWTH. THE GOVERNOR
SAYS PRT, I COULD HELP NORTH
CAROLINA ON THE ROAD TO
SUSTAINABILITY. WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT MAYBE.
>> 10 YEARS FROM NOW, MAYBE
5 YEARS FROM WHEN THIS BUSINESS
IS GOING STRONG.
>> AND MAKING SUCH A POSITIVE
IMPACT. WE CAN SAY THAT IT
STARTED IN FRANKLIN COUNTY,