CPTech Strengthens Plastics-to-SAF Push with New US and Saudi Patents
Clean Planet Technologies (CPTech), a subsidiary of the Clean Planet Group, has strengthened its global intellectual property portfolio after securing patents in both the United States and Saudi Arabia for its core pyrolysis-oil upgrading process. The approvals extend protection for the technology that sits at the heart of the company’s expanding Plastics to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (P2SAF) programme.
The new patents follow CPTech’s original UK patent granted in 2022 and cover the company’s proprietary method for converting low-grade, variable pyrolysis oils into ultra-low sulphur fuels and circular petrochemical feedstocks. The multi-stage process, which includes fractional condensation, tailored hydrotreating and precision distillation, improves oil stability, removes impurities and increases the efficiency of downstream upgrading.
Initially developed for ultra-low sulphur diesel, naphtha and marine fuels, the technology now plays a pivotal role in CPTech’s P2SAF pathway. It forms the backbone of the SAFe-P2SAF system unveiled by CPTech Chief Executive Officer Dr Andrew Odjo at the SAF Global Summit earlier this year, where the United Kingdom’s first Plastics to SAF route was presented to more than 500 policymakers, airlines and industry stakeholders.
“The fundamentals matter,” Dr Odjo said. “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 patents arrive as CPTech prepares for the commissioning of its first P2SAF pilot facility in early 2026. The plant will deliver the first real-world demonstration of the SAFe-P2SAF platform, moving the innovation from concept to operational deployment.
With UK and EU SAF mandates coming into effect, rising pressure on bio-based feedstock supply chains and increasing airline commitments to net-zero targets, alternative circular feedstocks such as waste plastics are becoming increasingly important. Patent protection in the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, two major energy markets, enables CPTech to advance licensing and development in regions central to global fuel production.
CPTech’s upgraded pyrolysis-oil process also addresses long-standing challenges associated with raw pyrolysis oil. The untreated oil typically contains high levels of oxygen, metals and other impurities and is unsuitable for refineries without extensive treatment. By producing a cleaner and more stable intermediate product, the technology unlocks a viable circular pathway from waste plastics to aviation-grade fuels.
“This patent was never just about improving diesel,” Dr Odjo added. “It was about enabling waste plastics to become genuinely circular. Today, that pathway leads directly into SAF.”
Clean Planet Technologies is expected to make further announcements later this year. The expanded patent coverage sends a strong signal that the company is building the legal and commercial foundations needed to scale plastics-to-fuel technologies globally.
“Turning difficult waste into strategic low-carbon fuels requires more than scientific innovation,” said CPTech’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Katerina Garyfalou. “It demands certainty, protection and the ability to scale with confidence. These patents help us achieve exactly that.”
