Pyrolysis Oil as Marine Fuel

Maritime transport carries the overwhelming majority of global trade, yet its fuel mix has changed little in decades. Regulatory frameworks — including emissions control areas and rising scrutiny of well-to-wake carbon intensity — are pushing shipowners and charterers toward lower-carbon bunker options.

Where Pyrolysis Oil Fits

Pyrolysis oil derived from end-of-life tires and waste plastics offers a pragmatic near-term lever. Rather than requiring a wholly new bunkering infrastructure, pyrolysis oil can be coprocessed alongside conventional feedstocks in existing refinery units, yielding fuel fractions compatible with established marine fuel specifications.

The feedstock advantage is equally important. Tire and plastic pyrolysis consumes material that would otherwise head to landfill or incineration, converting a disposal liability into an energy-dense liquid.

Coprocessing as the Bridge

Coprocessing tire pyrolysis oil in refinery hydrotreating units is emerging as a credible route to drop-in marine fuel. Rather than selling pyrolysis oil as a raw, off-spec product, coprocessing upgrades it into fractions that meet tight sulfur, stability, and ignition-quality requirements.

What Buyers and Refiners Need to Evaluate

Several factors determine whether a pyrolysis-oil-to-marine-fuel program is viable. Feedstock quality and consistency sit at the top — tire-derived oil differs chemically from plastic-derived oil, and both must be characterized before a refinery will accept them. Contaminant profiles, including metals, halogens, and oxygenates, drive pretreatment and hydrotreating severity.

The Road Ahead

Marine decarbonization will not hinge on a single fuel. A portfolio of pyrolysis oil, biofuels, methanol, and eventually hydrogen and ammonia is the realistic trajectory. Within that mix, pyrolysis oil’s strength is that it is available now, built on mature coprocessing chemistry, and tied directly to the waste-diversion agenda regulators already reward.

Learn More:

• Pyrolysis oil project portfolio
• Marine fuel coprocessing from tire pyrolysis oil
• e-Fuels and carbon capture

Put Pyrolysis Oil to Work in Marine Fuel

Pyrolysis oil is a drop-in lever for lower-carbon bunkering — available now and built on mature coprocessing chemistry.

Evaluating a pyrolysis-oil-to-marine-fuel program?

Contact Klean Industries about pyrolysis oil refining and marine-fuel coprocessing project development » GO.