Quebec’s Aero Mag has opened a new airplane de-icing fluid recycling facility in Syracuse, N.Y.

Aero Mag said the facility is the first of its kind in the U.S. Located at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, the plant deploys the RRR concept, which stands for recovery, recycling and reuse, said Aeromag in a news release.

According to the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, the facility can produce an estimated 500,000 gallons (1.89 million litres) of type I glycol, a chemical used in de-icing fluid, per year. The plant refines used de-icing fluid into pure glycol, which is blended to create new certified type I de-icing fluid.

In addition to producing glycol, the refining process yields reusable water. Aero Mag said the recycling process will reduce CO2 emissions by three to six million kilograms annually per year and save a potential 20 million to 25 million litres (5.5 million to seven million gallons) of water annually.

The Syracuse airport will only use about 50% of the plant’s capacity, allowing Aero Mag to supply neighbouring airports.

Photo: Syracuse Regional Airport Authority