Tire-Derived Fuel · Master Process Map

South America → Pakistan Cement Plant

End-to-end TDF supply chain — from client sourcing in any South American origin through Pakistan customs clearance, inland delivery, kiln co-processing, and Basel closure. Click any phase to expand steps and required documents.

9 Phases
≈ 60–90 day cycle
HS 4012.20 / B3140
Downloads PPTX Flow Chart Deck (13 slides) DOCX Pak-EPA NOC Sample Template 🖨 Print / Save as PDF

End-to-End Process at a Glance

P1Client sourcing & qualification
▸
P2Pre-shipment preparation
▸
P3Regulatory approvals (both ends)
▸
P4Origin customs & loading
▸
P5Ocean transit
P6Pakistan port arrival & clearance
▸
P7Inland transport to plant
▸
P8Plant receipt & kiln co-processing
▸
P9Closure, Basel return & settlement
1

Client Sourcing & Qualification

Identify, audit and contract scrap-tire generators in any South American origin (Brazil · Chile · Argentina · Peru · Colombia · Uruguay)

Origin +

Process steps

  1. Lead generation — fleet operators, retread shops, mining sites, scrap yards, municipalities, automotive importers.
  2. Initial outreach & NDA — confidentiality agreement signed with seller before exchanging volumes & pricing.
  3. Inventory audit — site visit, photos, tonnage estimate, casing condition, contamination check.Reject: tires with visible asbestos, oil saturation, radioactive marking, or rim-still-attached lots that exceed shred tolerances.
  4. Sample acceptance vs. cement-kiln spec — confirm calorific value 28–32 MJ/kg, moisture < 2%, chlorine < 0.5%, sulfur < 2%.
  5. Commercial offer — price (USD/MT), Incoterms (FOB / CIF / DAP), payment terms (LC at sight / 30-day TT), volume commitment.
  6. Supply agreement signed — quality spec annexed; failure-mode clauses (rejected lot at port, demurrage, force majeure).

Documents produced

  • Mutual NDA
  • Letter of Intent (LOI)
  • Site inspection report (photo log + tonnage)
  • Quality specification sheet (kiln-grade)
  • Supply & Purchase Agreement (SPA) — countersigned
  • KYC / AML pack on supplier (incorporation, beneficial ownership, sanctions check)
2

Pre-Shipment Preparation

Sorting, optional shredding, decontamination, consolidation, independent inspection & container loading

Origin +

Process steps

  1. Sorting & grading at consolidation yard — separate whole tires from scrap, remove rims, wheels, metal rings (where required).
  2. Optional shredding to 50–150 mm chips if importing cement plant uses main-burner injection rather than precalciner whole-tire feed.
  3. Decontamination — remove soil, standing water, organic debris (vector / mosquito control is mandatory; Aedes aegypti screening in Brazilian and Colombian origins).
  4. Consolidation to container quantity — typical fill: ~22 MT whole tires per 40' HC, ~25 MT shredded TDF.
  5. Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) by independent surveyor (SGS · Bureau Veritas · Intertek · Cotecna) — quantity, quality, photos, seal numbers.
  6. Supervised stuffing & sealing — bolt seal + cable seal numbers logged; loading photos archived.

Documents produced

  • Weighbridge tickets (per truck in)
  • Container packing list (per box, per seal)
  • Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) certificate
  • Fumigation / phytosanitary certificate (ISPM-15 if wood pallets used)
  • Vector-control declaration (no standing water / dry-stowed)
  • Loading photo log + seal register
  • Certificate of Analysis (CoA) — moisture, CV, Cl, S
3

Regulatory & Cross-Border Approvals

Basel notifications + origin export permits + Pakistan import NOCs — must all be in place BEFORE the container is loaded

Compliance +

Process steps

  1. Basel Convention prior notification — used pneumatic tires HS 4012.20. Classification: Annex IX B3140 (non-hazardous) preferred; otherwise Y46 / IX A4030.Notification must be acknowledged in writing by both Competent Authorities (origin + Pakistan) before shipment can sail.
  2. Origin environmental export authorization — Brazil IBAMA · Chile MMA + Aduana · Argentina SAyDS · Peru MINAM · Colombia ANLA + DIAN · Uruguay MA.
  3. Pak-EPA NOC under Hazardous Substances Rules 2003.
  4. Provincial EPA NOC — Sindh EPA (Karachi/Port Qasim) + Punjab EPA / KP EPA depending on cement-plant location.
  5. Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination — Pakistan's Basel Competent Authority approval.
  6. Cement plant co-processing license — facility must be authorized under the relevant SRO; license + capacity letter attached to import file.
  7. SBP / EIF (Electronic Import Form) registered through importer's bank; LC opened or TT advance arranged.

Documents produced

  • Basel Notification Document — Annex IA (signed by both CAs)
  • Basel Movement Document — Annex IB (travels with shipment)
  • Origin export environmental permit
  • Pak-EPA NOC (federal)
  • Provincial EPA NOC
  • MoCC / Basel CA approval letter
  • Cement plant co-processing authorization & capacity letter
  • Bank EIF / Letter of Credit / TT advice
  • Financial guarantee or insurance covering Basel re-export risk
4

Origin Customs & Vessel Loading

Export declaration, terminal handover, vessel booking, Bill of Lading and marine insurance

Origin +

Process steps

  1. Customs export declaration filed by origin broker — Brazil DU-E · Chile DUS · Argentina DJVE · Peru DAM · Colombia DEX · Uruguay DUA.
  2. Anti-narcotic / canine inspection at terminal (mandatory in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador; risk-based elsewhere).
  3. Container handed to terminal against Equipment Interchange Receipt.
  4. Vessel booking confirmed — Hapag-Lloyd · MSC · Maersk · CMA CGM · ONE · ZIM. Routing decided (East-coast via Cape; West-coast via Panama+Suez).
  5. Mate's receipt issued on board → original Bill of Lading printed by line.
  6. Marine cargo insurance — Institute Cargo Clauses A or C, value = CIF × 110%.

Documents produced

  • Origin customs export declaration (DU-E / DUS / DJVE / DAM / DEX / DUA)
  • Commercial Invoice
  • Packing List
  • Bill of Lading (original 3/3)
  • Certificate of Origin (chamber of commerce stamped)
  • Marine insurance certificate
  • Mate's receipt & Equipment Interchange Receipt
  • Anti-narcotic clearance (where applicable)
5

Ocean Transit

35–55 days at sea with shipping-line tracking, ETA updates and active cargo cover

Transit +

Process steps

  1. Routing — east coast (Santos · Buenos Aires · Montevideo · Paranaguá): Cape of Good Hope → Karachi · Port Qasim. Typical 40–50 days.
  2. Routing — west coast (San Antonio · Callao · Buenaventura): Panama Canal → Suez Canal → Karachi. Typical 45–55 days.
  3. Daily / weekly tracking via line booking number; ETAs pushed to importer + cement plant logistics team.
  4. Document courier — original B/L, COO, CoA, Annex IB couriered to Pakistan importer (DHL / FedEx) so docs arrive before vessel.
  5. Insurance is active from origin warehouse to plant gate (warehouse-to-warehouse clause).

Documents produced

  • Vessel tracking log
  • Courier airway bill (originals to importer)
  • Updated ETA notices
  • Any deviation / general-average notices
6

Pakistan Port Arrival & Customs Clearance

Karachi Port / Port Qasim — WeBOC Goods Declaration, Pak-EPA examination, duty payment, release

Pakistan +

Process steps

  1. Arrival notice issued by line; importer pays line charges and surrenders OBL → Delivery Order issued.
  2. Goods Declaration filed in WeBOC by clearing agent — PCT 4012.20.00 (used pneumatic tires).
  3. Customs assessment — physical examination, weighing, document scrutiny.
  4. Pak-EPA / MoCC examination — verifies federal NOC, Basel Annex IB, co-processing endorsement.Without these, container will be seized and may have to be re-exported under Basel Article 9 — costly. Confirm BEFORE the container loads at origin.
  5. Duty & tax assessment — Customs duty + Sales Tax + Withholding Tax + ACD; check applicable SRO concessions for cement co-processing fuels.
  6. Release order issued; container picked up by inland trucker.

Documents produced

  • Arrival notice + Delivery Order
  • Goods Declaration (WeBOC)
  • Duty & tax payment challans
  • Examination report (Customs)
  • EPA / MoCC examination report & release
  • Basel Annex IB countersigned at port
  • Out-of-Charge / Release order
7

Inland Transport to Cement Plant

Trucking from Karachi / Port Qasim to plant gate (100 km – 1,400 km)

Transit +

Process steps

  1. Trucker dispatched from port — flatbed or tipper depending on TDF format; route plan agreed.
  2. Route by destination plant: Lucky Cement Karachi (100 km) · Lucky Pezu (~1,200 km) · DG Khan (~1,200 km) · Maple Leaf Iskanderabad (~1,300 km) · Bestway Hattar/Chakwal/Farooqia (~1,400 km) · Cherat Nowshera (~1,500 km) · Fauji FCCL Khushab (~1,300 km).
  3. Weighbridge readings at port out and plant in (both retained for reconciliation).
  4. Plant gate receipt issued; container handed to plant for de-vanning.

Documents produced

  • Inland transport waybill / bilty
  • Trucker insurance certificate
  • Port-out and plant-in weighbridge tickets
  • Plant gate receipt (signed at security)
8

Plant Receipt & Kiln Co-Processing

Quality verification, acceptance certificate, kiln feed, emission monitoring, final destruction certificate

Pakistan +

Process steps

  1. Lab quality verification — moisture, calorific value, ash, chlorine, sulfur, metals (Hg, Cd, Pb).
  2. Acceptance certificate issued (or rejection / partial-acceptance lodged).
  3. Storage in covered yard or dedicated TDF silo to prevent moisture pickup.
  4. Kiln feed — whole tires injected at precalciner inlet; shredded TDF dosed at main burner. Typical substitution rate 10–25% of thermal energy.
  5. Continuous emission monitoring — dioxins/furans, HCl, SOx, NOx — must comply with Pakistan NEQS & cement-co-processing guidelines.
  6. Final destruction certificate issued by plant — closes the Basel loop.

Documents produced

  • Plant lab analysis report
  • Acceptance / rejection certificate
  • Co-processing log (date, tonnage, kiln #, operator)
  • Emission monitoring records (CEMS data)
  • Final destruction / disposal certificate (closes Basel)
9

Closure, Basel Return & Settlement

Annex IB returned within 180 days, supplier paid, annual reporting, re-order

Closure +

Process steps

  1. Basel Annex IB signed by importer/disposer → returned to exporter → submitted to origin Competent Authority within 180 days of receipt (treaty deadline).
  2. Payment release to South American supplier per LC terms or TT.
  3. Annual Basel report filed by exporter to origin CA — total volumes shipped, breakdown, any incidents.
  4. Performance review with cement plant — quality scorecard, substitution rate, emissions, savings vs. coal.
  5. Re-order — issue next purchase order under standing supply agreement.

Documents produced

  • Signed Annex IB returned to origin CA
  • SWIFT / payment proof to supplier
  • Annual Basel report (origin CA)
  • Plant performance scorecard
  • Next purchase order & shipping instruction

Compliance Quick Reference

🌎 Origin (South America)

  • Basel Convention — used pneumatic tires (B3140 preferred)
  • Brazil: IBAMA · Chile: MMA + Aduana · Argentina: SAyDS · Peru: MINAM · Colombia: ANLA + DIAN · Uruguay: MA
  • HS code: 4012.20
  • Origin port options: Santos, Buenos Aires, San Antonio, Callao, Buenaventura, Paranaguá

🇵🇰 Pakistan

  • Pak-EPA NOC (Hazardous Substances Rules 2003)
  • Provincial EPA NOC (Sindh / Punjab / KP)
  • MoCC — Basel Competent Authority
  • Cement plant co-processing license under SRO
  • WeBOC Goods Declaration · PCT 4012.20.00
  • Ports: Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Port Qasim (PQA)

📋 Critical documents (must travel with shipment)

  • Bill of Lading (original)
  • Commercial invoice + Packing list
  • Certificate of Origin
  • Basel Annex IB (Movement Document)
  • PSI certificate
  • Marine insurance
  • Pak-EPA NOC + Provincial NOC + MoCC approval
  • Co-processing authorization from receiving cement plant

⚠️ Top failure modes to avoid

  • Loading container before Basel notification is acknowledged by both CAs
  • HS-code misclassification (4012.20 vs scrap rubber 4004) → Customs hold
  • Moisture > 2% on arrival → kiln rejection
  • Rims still attached when plant spec is whole-tire-only-no-metal
  • Annex IB not returned in 180 days → exporter loses next-shipment authorization
  • Provincial EPA NOC missed (only federal obtained) → port-side seizure