An expanding Kent firm with a revolutionary process to turn waste plastic back into useable oil has opened new premises.

QM Recycled Energy (QMRE) originally operated from a small test and development operation in Longfield, near Dartford.

But it has now moved to a 25,000 sq ft factory and office suite on the Kingsnorth Industrial Estate at Hoo, near Rochester.

The factory is currently being fitted out to facilitate a 24-hour shift system where QMRE will process plastic waste back into its original constituent part – oil.

It can then be processed further to turn it back into “new” plastic.

QMRE has partnered up with Norwegian tech firm Eagle Technology to develop its Vixla system - Vixla is Norse for transformation.

The system will convert 5,000kg of plastic waste into 5,000 litres of QUEL (pyro-oil) while also producing a gas which is used in the heating process.

Only 3% of the original volume remains as carbon ash - and even that can be used in construction products.

QMRE estimates it will soon be able to process up to 600,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year, which represents around 10% of our annual plastic waste (based on 2012 figures.)

The QUEL will be sold to plastic-cracking companies who will use it to make new and renewable plastic in lieu of using new fossil fuels.

C-founder and joint-managing director Tim StClair-Pearce said: “The Hoo development is a highly significant chapter in the development of QMRE’s nationwide network of plastic waste-2-oil systems.

“We have spent several years and large sums of investment funds and persevered with finding the right engineering solutions to reach the stage where we can begin to start the rollout of the network.”

Dave Garbett, QMRE’s property and sales director, added: “The Hoo site will allow us to test and develop our engineering operation and provides plenty of scope for expansion.”

The process shreds the waste plastic before heating it in a thermo-kettle to temperatures of 400C, which breaks down the long polymers found in plastics and returns it to oil.

The method is known as pyrolysis.

The new plant will employ between six and 15 people on the factory floor, as production is stepped up to operate seven days a week.

There are a further six positions in sales and admin roles.