A world-first facility that turnsplasticintojet fuelcould be part of Britain’s solution to the next globaloil crisis.
Scientists inKentare converting non-recyclable waste plastics into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to address the challenges posed by plastic waste and aviation decarbonisation.
With the backing of the government and airlines, Clean Planet Technologies, part of the Clean Planet Group, said it could provide security for theUKthe next time it faces major jet fuel shortages.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war has caused widespreaddisruptionto the flow of oil across the world, sending jet fuel prices soaring to roughly twice as high as they were before the conflict.
Some European airlines have already cancelled flights amid the crisis, while others have warned of possible disruption and a rise in airfares.
Clean Planet Group chief executive Bertie Stephens said: “When the strait closes, and there’s a scare on jet fuel, we can’t self-generate that [fuel] and there isn’t an alternative... So we have to find a solution where we can be self-dependent in some way.
“We have [a solution] in our country, we have millions of tons of waste plastic we’re just putting in a landfill.”
According to Clean Planet Technologies, around 80 per cent of the 5 million tonnes of waste plastics that the UK creates each year cannot be recycled and is treated as waste.
The world’s commercial aircraft is estimated to consume 7m to 8m barrels of jet fuel a day, and less than 1 per cent of that is produced from sustainable sources, it said.
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The pilot facility heats plastic waste to create a chemical reaction, which turns it into a liquid, rather than burning it. The liquid is then treated to remove impurities and create SAF that meets stringent commercial aviation specifications.
Mr Stephens said world events, such as the Iran war, serve as a reminder of why the UK needs to diversify where it gets fuel from.
If the Strait of Hormuz were to close again later once production at the facility starts, its fuel could be a “big part of the solution” for airlines, Mr Stephens said.
“If we were to get to a point where we were able to take the 2 million tons of waste plastics that are currently polluting us as a nation and turn that into aviation fuel, we’ll make a significant dent in the demand for aviation fuel in five to 10 years.
“On one side, it’s reducing the carbon emissions, but on the other side, it’s actually taking away these polluting waste plastics, which, if they’re left in landfill, will break down into microplastics.”
Mr Stephens said the project had received cross-party support from the government as well as airlines, of which three have expressed interest. “It’s quite a nice moment in the industry where there’s no real pushback.”
The government’s SAF mandate currently requires 2 per cent of UK jet fuel demand to be SAF, which will increase to 10 per cent in 2030 and 22 per cent in 2040.
Clean Planet Technologies has received funding from the Department of Transport. It is now working with the standards organisation ASTM to get certification for its fuel to be used in planes, which it expects will be granted by mid-2027. Mr Stephens estimates it could be used by commercial airlines by the start of 2029.
Dr Andrew Odjo, chief executive officer at Clean Planet Technologies, said: “Every day, around 100,000 commercial flights operate globally while approximately 30,000 tonnes of plastic enter the ocean. That’s the equivalent of us dumping 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes every single day.
“Our pilot facility will demonstrate that 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.”
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