ClimateTicker

Zero Petroleum

41Mixed / Improving· Provisional
0 followersSynthetic fuels·London, UK·Founded 2020
www.zero.co/

UK synthetic fuel startup producing carbon-neutral e-fuels via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis from atmospheric CO2 and green hydrogen, achieving the world's first RAF synthetic fuel flight in 2021.

41/100
Mixed / Improving· Provisional

ClimateTicker Green Score · how it's calculated

Greenwashing risk: mediumData confidence: low

Why it's on ClimateTicker

Zero Petroleum's core technology — synthesising drop-in hydrocarbon fuels from atmospheric CO₂, green hydrogen, and renewable electricity via Fischer-Tropsch — is a credible mitigation pathway for hard-to-abate sectors like aviation, shipping, and motorsport where electrification is impractical. However, the company remains pre-commercial and at near-zero production volume, and its 'carbon-neutral' claim is entirely self-asserted with no published lifecycle analysis (LCA), no third-party verified carbon accounting, and no formal climate disclosure. Investors should treat the technology thesis as promising but the verified impact as negligible at present scale.

mitigationZero plans to sell synthetic drop-in petrol, diesel, avgas, and jet fuel to transport operators, motorsport teams, and defence clients, with near-term revenue from limited-edition collectible jerrycans and longer-term revenue from commercial-scale Plant Zero.2; it also pursues government grants (Innovate UK, UK SAF Clearing House) and partnership sponsorships (Sauber F1).

Commitments & Certifications

other: In progress — Intertek partnership for ASTM and fuel certification testing ↗other: Guinness World Records — world's first synthetic-fuel-only aircraft flight ↗other: UK SAF Clearing House funded project (with Avioxx) ↗

Controversy & Greenwashing Watch

mediumPre-commercial scale vs. bold 'world's leading' marketing claims

Zero markets itself as 'the world's leading producer of synthetic fuel' while actual commercial production has not commenced and fuel is sold only as limited-edition collectible jerrycans, creating a significant gap between marketing positioning and verified output.source ↗

mediumUnverified 'carbon-neutral' lifecycle claim

The company asserts carbon neutrality across its fuel products but has published no independent lifecycle analysis (LCA) or third-party verified emissions accounting to substantiate this, and itself acknowledges that plant construction generates fossil-fuel emissions.source ↗

lowPlant Zero.2 commercial-scale timeline slippage risk

Commercial-scale Plant Zero.2 was announced for 'as early as 2025' in May 2023, but no confirmed commissioning or production data has been publicly released as of mid-2025, raising questions about execution timelines.source ↗

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