The UK creates 5 million tpy of waste plastics, 80% of which cannot be recycled, such as carrier bags and food packaging film. Globally the world’s commercial aircraft consume between 7 and 8 million bpd of jet fuel , equivalent to 7 - 8% of total global daily oil demand.
Dr Andrew Odjo, CEO at Clean Planet Technologies, said: “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. Every day 100 000 commercial flights fly globally. At the same time, 600 000 t of non-recyclable waste plastics enter the environment globally. Our pilot facility will demonstrate this waste can be turned into a premium product with a quantifiable commercial demand, as well as reducing the lifecycle carbon footprint of the aviation industry. We monitor how much energy the process uses, and overall, it cuts the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared to traditional fossil jet fuel. With currently less than 1% of global aviation fuel produced from sustainable sources, the scale of the environmental opportunity presented by our technology means the opening of our facility is an important step towards the UK’s ambition to support sustainable aviation.”
The pilot facility plays a critical role in bridging innovation and commercial development, integrating several stages into one single, controlled system optimised to transform hard-to-recycle plastics into SAF. It has been designed to support fuel and feedstock testing, validation and progression through the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) qualification process, with financial support already in place from the Department for Transport-funded UK SAF Clearing House.
Dr. Katerina Garyfalou, Chief Operating Officer at Clean Planet Technologies, added: “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. UK government policy to decarbonise aviation fuel states that 2% of UK jet fuel demand must be SAF, increasing to 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040.”