How we rank — and how to hold us to it.
A ranking is only worth the method behind it. This page states the criteria, the weighting, what counts as evidence, and where our independence comes from. If a claim here can’t be traced to a source, treat it as our error, not your assumption.
§ The five criteria
Every company is scored on five criteria, weighted toward the hardest to fake:
| Criterion | Weight | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial proof | 30% | Operating reference plants, published output, revenue or offtake where disclosed. |
| Technology ownership | 25% | In-house process, patents and engineering lineage — not re-badged third-party equipment. |
| Feed flexibility | 20% | Range of feedstocks handled (MSW, tires, plastics, shredder residue, biomass) at commercial scale. |
| Deployment reach | 15% | Installed base, licensing, and multi-region delivery. |
| Financial independence | 10% | Viability without perpetual subsidy or insolvency events. |
§ What counts as evidence
We weight primary sources — company disclosures, plant registries, regulatory filings, technical publications and court records — over press releases and conference decks. Where a company’s only evidence is an announced project, a rendering, or a pilot, that is scored as such. Where a figure is unverifiable, we say so rather than repeating it.
§ Independence & disclosure
This is an independent research desk. We are not owned by, sponsored by, or affiliated with any company we rank; we take no referral fees and accept no paid placement. Companies cannot buy a better position. They can send us evidence — plant data, filings, references — and we will re-check the ranking against it.
Challenging a ranking? Putting together diligence for a project?
Send us the evidence and we’ll re-check the position — or scope a citation-backed assessment for your feed, scale and region.
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