Thermal Recycling of Composites, S.L.

What Thermal Recycling of Composites, S.L. does

Thermal Recycling of Composites, S.L. (TRC), operating commercially as bcircular and legally as BCIRCULAR COMPOSITES SL, is a Barcelona-based industrial technology company founded in 2016 as a spin-off of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The company develops and commercializes R3FIBER, a proprietary, closed-loop thermal recycling process that recovers high-quality glass and carbon fibres from fibre-reinforced plastic composite waste, including end-of-life wind turbine blades. The process is described as energy-efficient and emission-free, with sub-products either reused as fuel within the process itself or converted to heat and energy, yielding a self-sustaining energy balance. The technology is characterized as protected (proprietary IP) and scalable from pilot to industrial operations, with demonstrated application across wind energy (primary focus), aerospace, nautical, building and construction, industrial manufacturing, motor racing, and additive manufacturing/3D printing verticals.

R3FIBER is offered as a B2B recycling service and recovered-fibre supply platform. The company has produced the first composites manufactured from recycled fibre in the wind sector (in collaboration with EURECAT's Composites Unit, 2018) and the first plastics reinforced with recycled carbon fibre using 3D technology (also with EURECAT, 2018), establishing first-mover credentials in closed-loop composite circularity. The company holds ISO 14001 environmental management certification, is a beneficiary of the European Regional Development Fund (2023) and Horizon 2020 (2016 Certificate of Excellence), and participates in the VIVALDI industrial research consortium alongside BCN3D, CSIC, CENIM, EURECAT, Fundación CIM de UPC, TMCOMAS, SamyLabs, Colfeed, and Grupal Art. Marketing and commercial channels are limited to a corporate website, project consortium participation, and select industry events (e.g., Genera 2016, Nautic Tech International Investment Forum 2018).

The business model is B2B and project-based: thermal recycling services and recovered fibre materials are sold directly to industrial customers such as wind farm operators, aerospace and nautical manufacturers, and construction firms. No public pricing, contract structure, or revenue figures are disclosed. The company operates with a 1–10 employee headcount at pilot-plant scale. Capital has been raised non-dilutively through a €100,000 prize at the 2018 Nautic Tech International Investment Forum, incubator participation in EDP Starter, and EU grants (ERDF, Horizon 2020); no equity funding rounds, acquisitions, or commercial scale-up announcements are present in the source data.

Name

Thermal Recycling of Composites, S.L.

Legal name

BCIRCULAR COMPOSITES SL

Website

https://trcsl.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thermal Recycling of Composites (TRC / bcircular) is a Barcelona-based CSIC spin-off that develops the R3FIBER thermal recycling process to recover high-quality glass and carbon fibres from composite waste for B2B industrial customers across wind energy, aerospace, nautical, construction, and 3D printing sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Composite Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)

akta.pro primary industry

Wind Turbine Blade Recycling & Repurposing (Composite Processing) (EUAMALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circularity, Refurbishment & Resale (Used Modules/Turbines/Components) (EUAMALAK)

Keywords

• Composite recycling
• Wind turbine blade recycling
• Fiber-reinforced plastics
• Thermal recycling technology
• Circular economy materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Thermal Recycling of Composites (BCIRCULAR) develops and commercialises the R3FIBER thermal recycling technology for fiber-reinforced plastics and composite waste. The closed-loop process recovers high-quality glass and carbon fibres from end-of-life wind turbine blades and other composite materials, while sub-products are reused as fuel within the process or for heat and energy generation. The company sells recovered fibres and recycling services to industrial customers in wind energy, aerospace, nautical, motor racing, construction, and general manufacturing.

Product overview

bcircular is a spin-off of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) that develops and exploits technologies for recycling waste composites. The company's primary offering is the R3FIBER system, a thermal recycling technology for fiber-reinforced plastics. This technology enables the integral recovery of wind turbine blades and other composite materials, producing high-quality recycled glass and carbon fibers that can be reused within the wind sector or their respective sectors of origin, contributing to circular economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• R3FIBER: Thermal recycling technology for fiber reinforced plastics that recovers high-quality glass and carbon fibers from wind turbine blades and other composite materials through a highly energy-efficient, closed process.

Products and services

• R3FIBER Thermal Recycling Technology Proprietary thermal recycling technology for fiber-reinforced plastics that recovers high-quality glass and carbon fibres from composite waste through a closed-loop, energy-efficient process. Sub-products are reused as fuel within the process or to produce heat and energy, with no emissions. Sold/licensed to industrial customers for composite waste recovery applications.
• Wind Turbine Blade Recycling Services Application of the R3FIBER process to recover fibres from end-of-life wind turbine blades for re-use in wind sector composite manufacturing. Targeted at wind farm operators, wind turbine OEMs, and wind blade manufacturers needing to dispose of end-of-life blades and source recycled fibres.
• Recycled Carbon and Glass Fibre Products High-quality recycled glass and carbon fibres recovered from composite waste via the R3FIBER process, supplied to manufacturers across aerospace, nautical, motor racing, construction, 3D printing/additive manufacturing, and general industrial sectors for re-use in composite manufacturing.
• Composite Recycling Services (Aerospace, Nautical, Motor Racing, Construction, Industrial) Application of the R3FIBER process to recover fibres from composite waste streams across non-wind sectors — aerospace, nautical, motor racing, building and construction, general industry, and other industrial sectors — and supply recovered fibres back into those sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• First composites manufactured from recycled fibre in the wind sector — a significant milestone for turbine blade circularity
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VIVALDI Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2022The VIVALDI project is an industrial research initiative on composite waste recovery. Consortium members include bcircular, BCN3D, CSIC, CENIM, EURECAT, Fundación CIM de UPC, TMCOMAS, SamyLabs, Colfeed, and Grupal Art. The project aims to carry out industrial research on the recovery of waste from multiple sectors, strengthening the circular economy application of TRC's technology across a broad industry coalition.
• Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIC is the parent research institution from which bcircular (Thermal Recycling of Composites) was spun off. This institutional relationship provides access to CSIC's research infrastructure, scientific talent, and materials science expertise, forming the foundational origin of the company's proprietary R3FIBER technology.
• EURECAT (Technological Centre of Catalonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEURECAT (Composites Unit) collaborated with TRC to develop the first composites manufactured from recycled fibre — a significant milestone for wind turbine blade circularity. EURECAT and TRC also jointly manufactured the first plastics reinforced with recycled carbon fibre using 3D technology. This is a co-development partnership for recycled composite materials and processes.
• BCN3DminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VIVALDI project consortium focused on industrial research for waste recovery. BCN3D is an additive manufacturing company contributing expertise in 3D printing applications for recycled composite materials.
• CENIM (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Metalúrgicas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VIVALDI project consortium. CENIM is part of CSIC and contributes metallurgical and materials research expertise to composite waste recovery research.
• Fundación CIM de UPCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VIVALDI project consortium. Fundación CIM de UPC contributes advanced manufacturing and machining expertise from the Technical University of Catalonia.
• TMCOMASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VIVALDI project consortium, participating in industrial research on composite waste recovery across multiple sectors.
• SamyLabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VIVALDI project consortium, contributing to industrial research on composite waste recovery and circular economy applications.
• ColfeedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VIVALDI project consortium, participating in industrial research for composite waste recovery.
• Grupal ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VIVALDI project consortium, contributing to industrial research on composite waste recovery and material re-use.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vestas: Vestas is the world's largest wind turbine OEM and, through the CETEC partnership, is developing its own chemical-thermal composite recycling pathway for end-of-life blades. Directly comparable because Vestas both generates the waste stream TRC targets and is building competing recycling technology, making it a buyer, partner, or competitor depending on TRC's positioning.
• Siemens Gamesa: Siemens Gamesa is a major wind turbine OEM that launched its RecyclableBlade technology designed for full blade recyclability. Comparable as a broad incumbent in wind-blade circularity that both competes for and controls the same waste stream TRC serves.
• Mitsubishi Chemical Group: Mitsubishi Chemical Group is a major chemicals and advanced materials conglomerate that produces carbon fiber, resins, and composites, and has explored recycling pathways for fiber-reinforced plastics. Broad incumbent comparable because it competes across the full value chain TRC touches — virgin fibers, composites, and emerging recycled-fiber offerings — and has the scale to internalize recycling if it chooses.
• Aditya Birla Group (Birla Carbon / Aditya Birla Science): Aditya Birla is a global conglomerate with carbon black and materials science operations, including recycled-carbon-fiber and composite-recycling initiatives. Broad incumbent comparable because it operates across composites and recovered fiber inputs and could expand into TRC's niche with greater capital and customer reach.

Direct peers

• Carbon Conversions: Carbon Conversions is a US-based carbon fiber recycling company that converts composite waste into reusable chopped and milled carbon fiber for industrial applications. Direct peer because it focuses on the same end market — recycled fiber-reinforced inputs for composites manufacturing — and serves comparable industrial B2B customers.
• Gen 2 Carbon (formerly ELG Carbon Fibre): Gen 2 Carbon is a UK-based specialist carbon fiber recycler that recovers and re-processes carbon fibers from composite waste for reuse in automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications. Direct peer because it operates in the same niche — recovering high-quality fibers from composite scrap for industrial reuse — with comparable B2B sales motion and quality-sensitive customer base.
• Vartega: Vartega is a US-based carbon fiber recycler that recovers and re-engineers continuous carbon fiber from manufacturing scrap and end-of-life composites for use in 3D printing and industrial applications. Direct peer because it operates a fiber recovery process targeting similar automotive, aerospace, and additive manufacturing customers and competes in the same technical niche as TRC's recycled carbon-fiber work.

Emerging players

• TPI Composites: TPI Composites is a US-based manufacturer of wind turbine blades that generates substantial composite manufacturing scrap and is engaged in blade circularity initiatives. Emerging player comparable because it is both a potential customer for TRC's recycled fibers and an active participant in the same wind-blade circularity ecosystem.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thermal Recycling of Composites, S.L.