Clean Planet Technologies (CPTech), a subsidiary of the Clean Planet Group, has recently announced the formal patenting of its core pyrolysis-oil upgrading process in both the United States and Saudi Arabia. This expansion of intellectual property protection solidifies the technology behind the company’s Plastics-to-SAF programme.
The patents, which follow the initial UK patent granted in 2022, strengthen the global reach of CPTech’s proprietary method for converting low-grade, highly variable pyrolysis oils into ultra-low sulphur fuels and circular petrochemical feedstocks. This breakthrough process improves stability, reduces impurities, and enables more efficient downstream upgrading.
CPTech’s multi-stage upgrading process, which includes fractional condensation, tailored hydrotreating, and precision distillation, was originally developed for ultra-low sulphur diesel, naphtha, and marine fuels. It is now a key technology within the company’s Plastics-to-SAF (P2SAF) programme. This approach allows CPTech to transform mixed waste plastics into an ultra-clean product suitable for further refining into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
CEO of CPTech, Dr Andrew Odjo, presented the UK’s first Plastics-to-SAF pathway at the SAF Global Summit earlier this year to over 500 policymakers, airlines, and industry leaders. “The fundamentals matter,” said Dr Odjo. “Reliable, consistent upgrading of plastic-derived oils is essential if we are to diversify SAF feedstocks. Securing these patents strengthens our ability to scale this work globally.”
The timing of these patents aligns with a surge in momentum for CPTech. The company recently announced the arrival of equipment for its first P2SAF pilot facility, set to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2026. This will be the first real-world demonstration of the SAFe-P2SAF platform, transitioning the technology from stage-presentation to steel-in-the-ground deployment.
With UK and EU SAF mandates coming into force, increasing pressure on bio-based feedstock supply chains, and growing airline commitments to decarbonisation, alternative circular feedstocks such as waste plastics are gaining strategic importance.
CPTech’s patented process solves long-standing challenges associated with raw pyrolysis oil, which is typically unstable, oxygen-rich, metal-laden, and unsuitable for use in refineries or engines without extensive upgrading. By increasing stability, controlling variability, and removing sulphur, nitrogen and other contaminants, the technology produces a cleaner, more predictable intermediate oil — exactly what is required for advanced aviation-grade upgrading.
“This patent was never just about improving diesel,” said Dr Odjo. “It was about unlocking a pathway for waste plastics to become genuinely circular. Today, that pathway leads directly into SAF.”
The expanded patent protection sends a clear signal that CPTech is not only innovating in the lab and on the stage, but also securing the legal and commercial foundations needed to scale plastics-to-fuel production globally.
“Turning difficult waste into strategic low-carbon fuels requires more than good science,” said Dr. Katerina Garyfalou, COO of Clean Planet Technologies. “It demands certainty, protection, and the ability to scale with confidence. These patents help us do exactly that.”
Clean Planet Technologies, a part of the Clean Planet Group, is dedicated to developing proprietary technologies that enable the sustainable use of plastics and the reduction of carbon emissions. Their portfolio includes innovations in Plastics-to-SAF, Plastics-to-Hydrogen, Plastics-to-Monomers, and containerised pyrolysis systems (CPS²). These technologies support the circular economy by transforming low-value waste into high-value, low-carbon fuels and chemicals.
For more information about CPTech, visit their website at https://cleanplanettechnologies.com/.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.