Waste‐to‐Energy Transformation: Performance and Emission Analysis of Diesel–Plastic–Vegetable Fuel Blends

The growing demand for sustainable alternative fuels has accelerated the development of waste‐derived and renewable fuel blends for compression ignition (CI) engines. In this study, novel ternary fuel blends comprising diesel, plastic waste‐derived pyrolysis oil, and vegetable oils (soybean and mahua) were developed and evaluated to reduce fossil fuel dependence while promoting waste valorization and renewable energy utilization. Plastic pyrolysis oil was first blended with soybean and mahua oils to produce low‐viscosity binary mixtures that satisfied the evaluated EN 590:2022 fuel property requirements, including viscosity, density, cetane number, and cold‐flow properties, without the need for transesterification. The optimized binary blends were subsequently blended with diesel to prepare ternary fuels, which were tested in a CI engine under electrical loads of 1–5 kW, with the maximum measured power output approaching the generator's rated operating limit. Engine performance was assessed through power output and brake‐specific fuel consumption (BSFC), while exhaust emissions of CO, CO 2 , NO x , and soot were measured. Among the tested formulations, the B60‐PSO blend exhibited the best overall performance, reducing BSFC by approximately 15% at the highest load compared with conventional diesel. The developed blends also demonstrated improved environmental performance, achieving reductions of up to 20% in CO, 10% in NO x , and 40% in soot emissions, while a slight increase in CO 2 indicated more complete combustion. These results demonstrate that diesel–plastic pyrolysis oil–vegetable oil blends provide an effective route for converting waste plastics into valuable transportation fuels, offering improved fuel economy, cleaner combustion, and a practical waste‐to‐energy solution that supports sustainable transportation and circular economy objectives.