Gary Foster and Phil Erasmus, the inventor of the technology, approached BHP about a potential waste treatment issue. Bert Huys and Drew Drennan worked in the Environment department for BHP’s Iron Ore Division. The group discussed a few ideas and agreed that a better solution was needed for processing waste tyres. The Pearl team was formed
The Pearl team spent seven years investigating methods to overcome the environmental problems that use aggressive pyrolysis methods in processing end of life rubber and other waste products. They identified thermal desorption as a clean and viable process and worked together to build a prototype thermal desorption unit (TDU)
Pearl is awarded a $1.3 million cash grant by Australian Research Council. Combining this with $830,000 in-kind contributions from universities of WA, Curtin and Newcastle, and Pearl cash and in-kind contributions totaling $1.37 million, Pearl enters a $3.5 million investment program to develop its technology to the next stage and produce even more valuable products
Pearl achieves Australian Securities Exchange listing through the reverse takeover of listed oil mining company, Citation Resources Limited. The company name is changed to Pearl Global Limited and it is recapitalised to enable the construction of the first full-scale site and the commencement of commercial tyre recycling operations
