Sulnox, the greentech company delivering lower fuel costs and emissions at zero capex, is pleased to announce that it has secured an important patent for Europe in the significant fuel oil reclamation market. The patent covers 39 countries.

The intellectual property protected for the “Sulnox Reclaim” product is an improved oil / water separation methodology developed by Sulnox, incorporating its patented green emulsification technologies.  This methodology, which was first recognised by a patent for the Company in Nigeria earlier in 2025, and followed by a patent for Eurasia covering eight key jurisdictions, has considerable potential for supporting the maritime industry in tackling its perennial problem of “ship slops”: oily wastewater from various onboard operations, including tank cleaning, fuel purification, and ballast water management.

Ship slops typically contain around 70% water in what would otherwise be useful heavy fuel oil (HFO). Traditional separation processes often require high heating temperatures and long separation times to allow gravity to drag out the water from the oil in a separation tank. Often, the HFO that is recovered can still contain significant amounts of water (5% and above) which reduce its value and usefulness. 

Augmenting an existing separation plant with the Sulnox separation process brings the following outcomes: 

·      Separation is accelerated with a typical process of around 10-12 hours reduced to approximately three, allowing higher processing capability for an existing plant

·      Lower temperatures are required, leading to savings on heating and a reduced CO2 footprint

·      Water recovered is cleaner and may be disposed of easily

·      Oil recovered has typically less than 1.5% water content which means added value and saleability

Ship slops are a feature of ship operations in ports worldwide. Growth in the wider market for eco-friendly demulsifiers, used to separate water from fuel oil, is supported by environmental regulation and a corporate imperative to adopt more sustainable practices. The global demulsifier market is estimated to grow from US$2.4bn in 2024 to approximately US$3.2bn by 2031 (Source: VMR).

Sulnox has additional patent protection in 50+ markets, in all major economies. They cover a range of formulation versions which enhance all liquid hydrocarbon fuels, including diesel, petrol/gasoline, fuel oils and biofuels; and marine fuels including Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and Marine Diesel Oil (MDO), Very and Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO/ULSFO) and HSFO. 

Ben Richardson, CEO of Sulnox, commented: 

“This third fuel reclamation patent, covering Europe, is a critical addition to our intellectual property, supporting and accelerating our strategy of diversifying the company’s sources of revenue. Tackling ship slops is an additional and sizeable revenue opportunity in the global maritime industry, and Sulnox is well positioned to benefit. We continue to pursue further expansion of our patent portfolio as we target new sectors and markets worldwide.”