Waste-to-Fuel Solutions: SAF & Tire Pyrolysis
Climate Challenge
Fossil-fuel dependence in aviation and road transport drives greenhouse-gas growth and exposes economies to volatile fuel markets. Converting waste streams—used cooking oil and scrap tires—into fuels offers a rapid route to cut emissions, curb landfill use, and strengthen energy security.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
SAF is a renewable jet fuel produced from wastes such as used cooking oil, animal fats, agricultural residues, algae, municipal solid waste, and non-food energy crops. When blended with conventional jet kerosene, it can enter service without engine modifications and cut life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions by up to .
SAF: Feedstocks & Processes
Key conversion pathways include Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FT), Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ), and Catalytic Hydrothermolysis (CH). After refining, SAF is typically blended with fossil jet fuel to meet ASTM specifications.
SAF: Benefits & Circular Economy
SAF lowers sulfur oxides, particulate emissions, and diverts organic wastes from landfills. Economically it supports about million jobs worldwide, stimulates rural income through feedstock collection, and attracts billions in low-carbon investment. By reinserting waste carbon into the fuel cycle, SAF exemplifies a circular economy that reduces raw-material extraction.
Tire Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis heats shredded rubber tires in an oxygen-free reactor, cleaving long polymer chains into pyrolysis oil, combustible gas, recovered carbon black (rCB), and recyclable steel. The oil can substitute for industrial or vehicle fuels, while process gas can power the plant itself.
Pyrolysis: Benefits & Industry Adoption
The technology diverts tires from landfills, removes fire risk, and cuts soil contamination. It also recovers materials that replace virgin carbon black and steel, lowering both cost and carbon footprint. German firms such as Pyrum Innovations and Energy Plus Group operate commercial plants: Pyrum partners with BASF and Continental to feed rCB into new-tire production, closing the materials loop.
Overall, SAF and tire-derived fuels transform persistent wastes into high-value energy carriers, simultaneously addressing climate, resource, and economic challenges.