A major breakthrough in tackling waste plastic and aviation emissions has been marked with the opening of the world’s first waste plastics to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) pilot facility at Discovery Park.
Dedicated to converting hard-to-recycle waste plastics into SAF, the new Sustainability Innovation Centre is operated by Clean Planet Technologies. The Centre is set up to research and develop new technologies to deal with non-recyclable plastic waste, beginning with conversion into jet fuel.
The UK creates 5 million tonnes of waste plastics each year, 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 barrels of jet fuel per day, equivalent to 7-8% of total global daily oil demand.
The pilot facility plays a critical role in bridging innovation and commercial development, integrating several stages into one 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.
Chris Broom, Head of Business Development at Discovery Park, commented: “Kent is becoming a hub for world-leading sustainable innovation, and this facility is a powerful demonstration of what’s possible when cutting-edge science meets the right environment to grow. The Sustainability Innovation Centre is a landmark moment — for Clean Planet Technologies, for Kent, and for the future of sustainable aviation.”
For more information, visit www.cleanplanet.com/technologies
Picture: Andy Jones/Maxim PR