EIA: US biofuel capacity up in January

Total U.S. operatable biofuels production capacity expanded to 22.209 billion gallons in January with gains for both renewable diesel and ethanol, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on March 31. Total feedstock consumption was down when compared to January 2022.

The 22.209 billion gallons of biofuel capacity in place as of January 2023 was up 86 MMgy when compared to the 22.123 billion gallons of capacity in place the previous month, and up 1.097 billion gallons when compared to the 21.112 billion gallons of capacity in place of January 2022.

Fuel ethanol capacity was at 17.219 billion gallons in January, up 40 MMgy when compared to the previous month, but down 180 MMgy when compared to January 2022.

Biodiesel capacity fell to 2.051 billion gallons in January, down 39 MMgy when compared to December and down 194 MMgy when compared to the same month of last year.

Capacity for renewable diesel and associated fuels, including renewable heating oil, renewable jet fuel, renewable naphtha, renewable gasoline and other biofuels and biointermediates, reached 2.939 billion gallons in January, up 85 MMgy when compared to December and up 1.471 billion gallons when compared to January 2022.

Total feedstock consumption was at 27.154 billion pounds in January, up 968 million pounds when compared to the 26.186 billion pounds of feedstock consumed the previous month, but down 673 million pounds when compared to the 27.827 billion pounds of feedstock consumed in January 2022.

U.S. biofuel producers consumed 24.694 billion pounds of corn in January, up from 23.817 billion pounds in December, but down from 25.957 billion pounds in January of the previous year. Biofuel producers also consumed 264 million pounds of grain sorghum in January, down from 308 million pounds the previous year, but up from 139 million pounds in January 2022.

Total soybean oil consumption was at 941 million pounds in January, up from both 885 million pounds in December and 791 million pounds in December 2021. Biodiesel plants consumed 557 million pounds of soybean oil in January, compared to 533 million pounds the previous month and 543 million pounds in January of the previous year. Renewable diesel plants consumed 384 million pounds of soybean oil in January, up from 352 million pounds in December and 248 million pounds in January 2022.

Corn oil consumption reached 289 million pounds in January, up from 249 million pounds the previous month and 249 million pounds in January of the previous year. Canola oil consumption reached 242 million pounds in January, up from 170 million pounds in December and 64 million pounds in January 2022.

Biofuel producers also consumed 404 million pounds of yellow grease, 199 million pounds of beef tallow, 41 million pounds of white grease and 15 million pounds of poultry fat in January. Producers consumed 462 million pounds, 166 million pounds, 48 million pounds and 18 million pounds of those feedstocks, respectively, in December; and 364 million pounds, 141 million pounds, 43 million pounds and 15 million pounds, respectively, in January 2022.

Biofuel producers also consumed 65 million pounds of feedstock classified as “other” recycled feeds and wastes in January, compared to 63 million pounds in December and 64 million pounds in January 2022.

The EIA withheld data on several feedstocks, including yard and food waste, other waste oils, fats and greases, and other biofuel feedstocks not elsewhere specified or identified in order to avoid disclosure of individual company data.

Additional data is available on the EIA website.