Officially opened June 2023, Plant Zero.1 is the world’s first fully-featured synthetic fuel plant.

A 10,000-square-foot facility in Bicester Heritage, the site was selected in part for its historical significance in aviation and motorsports. Located in Motorsport Valley, the home of Formula 1 and a stone's throw from the brilliant minds at Oxford University, it’s a centre of global innovation.

Plant Zero.1 contains equipment for all three separate processes used to create the fuel: Direct Air Capture (DAC), electrolysis to create green hydrogen, and Zero’s proprietary Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology, DirectFT®, which provides a uniquely powerful platform for the synthesis of fuels.

The facility includes a control room for 24/7 operation and monitoring, an integrated gas feedstock system with gas storage, a roof-mounted photovoltaics installation generating up to 78 kW of solar energy, an electrolyser and gas compression system for hydrogen production, provisions for Direct Air Capture (DAC) development, a fuel analysis laboratory and a chemistry laboratory.

Plant Zero.1 was designed to the same exacting standards that much of Zero’s engineering team learned in Formula 1. The factory reflects the company’s vision with space-age design and draws inspiration from consumer-facing businesses.

  

     

Fuel is the first step in our mission to Go Zero. Our technology can be applied to all crude oil based products, with the potential to transform how our consumer society affects the world we inhabit.

FAQs

What is Zero® fuel?

Zero is the antidote to fossil-based propulsion technology. Not only is it a carbon-neutral fuel, but it also offers the same performance and range as its fossil fuel alternative. The carbon used is extracted from the air not the ground, making it a sustainable solution for the future.

What vehicles can it be used in?

Zero manufactures synthetic petrol, diesel, avgas and jet fuel and the fuels can be used by any vehicle that runs on that form of fossil fuel, with no need for any modifications.

Why do we need synthetic fuels?

Fossil fuels provide a large amount of energy for a small amount of fuel but they add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Alternative energy sources, such as electric or hydrogen, cannot offer the range and performance needed for certain applications, such as global shipping, commercial flight and agriculture. Synthetic fuels can, as they provide the same amount of energy as fossil fuels. As they can be used in existing vehicles, they can prevent billions of dollars being lost in retired assets.

Is it a biofuel or a fuel made from waste?

No, it is neither. Biofuels use materials from fields or forests and are not scalable without significant impact on land. Fuels made from waste rely on limited resources (including a lot of fossil fuel materials) and are not sustainable or renewable. Zero® fuels use only water and carbon dioxide as source materials, both of which are abundant in the atmosphere.

How does Zero® 95 compare to standard petrol?

Zero® 95 meets the same fuel standard as UK and European pump fuel. It delivers more power and range than E5 or E10 fuels and the same power and range as traditional ethanol-free petrol. It will mix with any remaining fossil fuel in a tank without any problem.

What additives does Zero® 95 contain?

It is a pure fuel, with no additives. It does not contain ethanol, is 100% sulphur-free, 100% lead-free and does not contain any traces of rare metals. Also, no significant quantities of rare metals are used in the manufacturing machinery used for fuel synthesis.

Does the manufacturing process use electricity?

Yes, but the electricity is provided by renewable sources, making the entire manufacturing process 100% renewable. Fossil fuel emissions are generated to build the fuel plant in the first place, in the same way as all other renewable energy solutions, but Zero plants are brand new, constructed to the latest design principles and environmental regulations and we are working hard to limit plant development emissions as much as possible.

What does it cost?

The fuel is currently available on pre-order as limited-edition 20-litre jerrycans, priced to reflect their value as first-of-a-kind collectibles. Once production is scaled, the target price for the commercially available fuel will be in line with fossil fuel prices.

    

With Plant Zero.2 and modular production technology on the horizon, make clean fuel your business and get in touch.

 

Enquire about the latest opportunities in the future of fuel.