Biomass-Based Diesel

Sustainable biomass-based diesel (namely biodiesel and renewable diesel) use a large amount of rendered animal fats and used cooking oil (UCO). In fact, almost twenty percent of the feedstock used to make these biofuels comes from fats and oils supplied by the rendering industry..

When U.S. exports of animal fats and used cooking oil (UCO) declined over the past decade, U.S. biodiesel production increased. This provided an important new market for rendered products.

The low carbon intensity score of recycled waste products like animal fats and UCO makes them great for use as biomass-based diesel, an approved fuel that meets the Low Carbon Fuel Standard in California and Oregon. Animal fats and UCO also help biodiesel and renewable diesel qualify as advanced biofuels under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.

Continued federal incentives, such as the Renewable Fuel Standard and tax credits, are important for the relatively young biomass-based diesel industry to grow and increasingly contribute to cleaner air and reuse of the nation’s resources, providing more environmentally sustainable options for all.