Biodiesel production from soyabean and palm oils is expected to increase in North and South America as well as Southeast Asia, according to Germany’s Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP).
“Production of biodiesel, and consequently the use of feedstocks, has increased all over the world,” the association said on 10 December.
“The percentages of feedstocks used in 2019 remained virtually unchanged from 2017 – 35% palm oil, 26% soyabean oil, 16% rapeseed oil, 11% used cooking fats, 7% animal fats and 6% other fats,” UFOP said.
Palm, soyabean and rapeseed oils remained the most important feedstock sources but their use could vary in 2019 because of their changing prices compared with 2018.
“Rapeseed oil is at a high level and cost, on average, €96/tonne (US$107) more in September 2019 than in the previous year. As a result, the gap to soyabean, sunflower and palm oil has widened significantly.”
UFOP said it remained to be seen whether the share of biodiesel from waste oils and fats would continue to increase at the expense of rapeseed oil in the EU.
“Feedstock percentages could also change in the wake of the smaller rapeseed harvest caused by drought, the transition to soyabean processing and the more than €300/tonne (US$334) price gap at times between palm oil and rapeseed oil.”
