Clean Planet Launches Pilot Facility Converting Plastic Waste to Aviation Fuel

This article is based on an official press release from Clean Planet Technologies.

A major breakthrough in tackling both waste plastic and aviation emissions has been marked with the opening of the world’s first waste plastics to SAF (SAF) pilot facility. Operated by Clean Planet Technologies, the new Sustainability Innovation Centre is located at Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent. The facility is dedicated to researching and developing new technologies to process non-recyclable plastic waste, beginning with its conversion into jet fuel.

The pilot facility addresses the growing problem of hard-to-recycle waste plastics and the environmental impact of the aviation industry. According to the company’s press release, the UK alone creates 5 million tonnes of waste plastics each year, 80% of which cannot be recycled and is treated as waste. Meanwhile, the world’s commercial aircraft consume 7 to 8 million barrels of jet fuel a day, with less than 1% currently produced from sustainable sources.

Transforming Waste into Sustainable Aviation Fuel

The new pilot facility integrates several stages into a single, controlled system optimized to transform hard-to-recycle plastics into SAF. The process begins with shredding the waste plastics to a uniform size, followed by pyrolysis, where the material is thermocatalytically converted into a synthetic crude oil in an oxygen-free environment. This melts the plastic rather than burning it.

After purification to remove impurities and contaminants, the pyrolysis oil undergoes distillation to separate it into relevant fractions. These fractions are then processed through Clean Planet Technologies’ patented hydroprocessing system, which uses hydrogen to further remove impurities and transform the properties of the product to meet stringent SAF specifications. The resulting ultra-clean, ultra-low sulfur fuel is sent for testing, blending, and evaluation as part of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) qualification pathway.

Reducing the Aviation Industry’s Carbon Footprint

The environmental impact of this technology are significant. According to Clean Planet Technologies, the process cuts lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared to traditional fossil jet fuel.

“Our process first heats the waste plastic with a chemical reaction to turn it into a liquid, rather than burning it. This is then treated with our patented process to remove impurities and create SAF that meets stringent commercial aviation specifications,” said Dr. Andrew Odjo, Chief Executive Officer at Clean Planet Technologies.

Dr. Odjo also highlighted the scale of the opportunity, noting that 100,000 commercial flights operate globally every day, while 600,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste plastics enter the environment. The pilot facility aims to demonstrate that this waste can be turned into a premium product with quantifiable commercial demand.

Supporting UK and Global Sustainability Goals

The Sustainability Innovation Centre plays a critical role in bridging the gap between innovation and commercial development. It has been designed to support fuel and feedstock testing, validation, and progression through the ASTM qualification process. The facility has already secured financial support from the Department for Transport-funded UK SAF Clearing House.

We note that the fundamentals of the process,pyrolysis, purification, distillation, and hydroprocessing,are all technologies currently used independently at a commercial scale, which suggests that scaling up the integrated process will not present a significant challenge for the company.

Meeting the UK’s SAF Mandate

The opening of the pilot facility is an important step toward the UK’s ambition to support sustainable aviation and meet its SAF mandate.

“The Sustainability Innovation Centre is set up to demonstrate our patented waste-plastics-to-SAF process at pilot scale, supporting fuel testing, validation and progression. The important thing is that our pilot facility will support the growth of others, helping the UK to meet its SAF mandate,” added Dr. Katerina Garyfalou, Chief Operating Officer at Clean Planet Technologies.

UK government policy to decarbonize aviation fuel states that 2% of UK jet fuel demand must be SAF, increasing to 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040.

Addressing Dual Strategic Challenges

Clean Planet Group, founded in 2018, views the new facility as a solution to two pressing global issues. By converting non-recyclable plastics,materials that would otherwise go to landfill or be incinerated,into low-carbon aviation fuel, the facility supports circular economy objectives.

“Our pilot facility addresses two strategic challenges simultaneously: plastic waste management and aviation decarbonisation,” said Clean Planet Group CEO Bertie Stephens.

Stephens noted that the pilot opens up new ways to make sustainable aviation fuel at a time when existing feedstocks, such as energy crops, are becoming harder to secure. It also positions the UK as a leader in turning waste plastics into SAF, supporting UK and European targets, and helping clear the path to commercial-scale plants later this decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)?

SAF is defined as any renewable or waste-derived aviation fuel that meets specific sustainability criteria. It is considered to have the greatest potential to reduce carbon emissions from international air travel.

How much of the UK’s plastic waste is currently recycled?

According to Clean Planet Technologies, the UK creates 5 million tonnes of waste plastics each year, and 80% of this cannot be recycled and is treated as waste.

How much does the new process reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Clean Planet Technologies states that their process cuts lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared to traditional fossil jet fuel.

Sources

• Clean Planet Technologies