EIA: US biofuel capacity, feedstock consumption up in April
SOURCE: U.S. Energy Information Administration
July 6, 2023
BY Erin Voegele
Total operable biofuels production capacity in the U.S. expanded in April, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on June 30. Feedstock consumption was up when compared to the same month of last year.
U.S. biofuels capacity was at 23.135 billion gallons per year in April, up 36 MMgy when compared to the 23.099 billion gallons of capacity reported for the previous month and up 1.656 billion gallons when compared to the 21.479 billion gallons per year of capacity in place as of April 2022.
Fuel ethanol capacity reached 17.77 billion gallons per year in April, up 36 MMgy when compared to March and up 430 MMgy when compared to April of last year.
Biodiesel capacity was at 2.087 billion gallons per year in April, flat with the previous month, but down 130 MMgy when compared to the 2.217 billion gallons of capacity reported for April 2022.
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Capacity for renewable diesel and associated fuels, including renewable heating oil, renewable jet fuel, renewable naphtha, renewable gasoline and other biofuels and biointermediates, was at 3.278 billion gallons per year in April, flat with March but up 1.356 billion gallons per year when compared to the 1.922 billion gallons of capacity in place as of April 2022.
U.S. biofuel producers consumed 25.805 billion pounds of feedstock in April, down 1.282 billion pounds when compared to the 27.087 billion pounds of feedstock consumed in March, but up 532 million pounds when compared to the 25.273 billion pounds of feedstock consumed in April of last year.
Biofuel producers consumed 23.187 billion pounds of corn in April, down from both the 24.424 billion pounds consumed the previous month and the 23.294 billion pounds consumed during the same month of last year. Grain sorghum consumption was at 222 million pounds in April, down from 242 million pounds in March, but up from 164 million pounds in April 2022.
U.S. biofuel producers also consumed 927 million pounds of soybean oil in April, with 579 million pounds consumed by biodiesel plants and 348 million pounds consumed by renewable diesel facilities. Total soybean oil consumption was at 953 million pounds in March, including 593 million pounds consumed by biodiesel plants and 360 million pounds consumed by renewable diesel facilities; and at 839 million pounds in April of last year, including 578 million pounds consumed by biodiesel producers and 261 million pounds consumed by renewable diesel producers.
Corn oil consumption reached 295 million pounds in April, up from both 220 million pounds the previous month and 211 million pounds in April of last year. Canola oil consumption was at 257 million pounds in April, down from 322 million pounds in March, but up from 101 million pounds in April 2022.
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Biofuel producers also consumed 592 million pounds of yellow grease, 210 million pounds of beef tallow, 45 million pounds of white grease and 9 million pounds of poultry fat in April. Consumption levels were at 562 million pounds, 239 million pounds, 45 million pounds, and 9 million pounds, respectively, in March, and at 402 million pounds, 130 million pounds, 57 million pounds and 13 million pounds, respectively, in April 2022.
In addition, biofuel producers consumed 61 million pounds of feedstock classified as other recycled feeds and wastes in April, down from 71 million pounds the previous month and 62 million pounds in April of last year. The EIA withheld data on feedstocks classified as other waste oils, fats and greases; yard and food waste; 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.
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