US biodiesel production, import update
April 6, 2016
BY Ron Kotrba
This week the U.S. Energy Information Administration released its monthly biodiesel production report for January. According to the EIA data gathered via the EIA-22M Monthly Biodiesel Production Survey Form, U.S. production of biodiesel was 105 million gallons in January, 3 million gallons lower than the month prior, and lower than the months of April through December in both 2014 and 2015—years without a final RFS rule and therefore no RVOs, and also years without a forward-looking $1 per gallon blenders tax credit.
The EIA says most of the 105 million gallons of biodiesel produced in January, 71 percent, came from the Midwest.
Advertisement
Total production came from 96 biodiesel plants with capacity of 2.1 billion gallons per year.
A total of 753 million pounds of feedstock was used to produce biodiesel in January, with soybean oil remaining the largest source at 392 million pounds.
U.S. EPA’s EMTS RIN data show that for January and February, roughly 200 million gallons of domestically produced biomass-based diesel generated D4 RINs, while importers and foreign producers generated D4 RINs equivalent to another 54 million gallons. The monthly volume breakdown of total D4-RIN-generating fuel, according to the EMTS data, is 125.8 million gallons in January and 131.7 million gallons in February. The data also show that the total (domestic and imported) D4-RIN-generating biodiesel volume for January and February combined was roughly 220.4 million gallons while renewable diesel volumes approach 37 million gallons for the same two months.
Advertisement
According to EIA data, biodiesel imports fell dramatically from December to January. In December, imports reached more than 45 million gallons, 38 million gallons of which came from Argentina, but in January total imports approached only 9 million gallons. In January, Argentina only exported slightly more than 2 million gallons, a nearly 20-fold decrease from the month before.
The U.S. imported about 10.8 million gallons of renewable diesel in January exclusively from Singapore (Neste). The month prior, the sole renewable diesel volumes also came from Singapore, totaling roughly 20.3 million gallons.
Related Stories
Biodiesel capacity in the U.S. and Canada dipped slightly stable in 2024, with several renewable diesel producers reporting headwinds and lower margins alongside a drove of SAF projects in various stages of development.
The IEA’s Task 39 group has new research regarding the development and status of the sustainable aviation fuel industry.
Montana Renewables LLC has delivered its first shipment of 7,000 gallons of SAF to Dearborn, Michigan's Buckeye Pipeline facility. From there, the fuel will be transported to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport via pipeline for use by Delta Air Lines.
NYC took a monumental step towards clean air and a sustainable future on Jan. 11 with the grand opening of the city's first retail fuel station dispensing renewable diesel. The project is a collaboration between Sprague and Sonomax.
The USDA on Jan. 11 awarded $19 million under the Higher Blend Infrastructure Incentive Program. The grants will support projects in 22 states to expand the availability of higher ethanol and biodiesel blends.
Upcoming Events
