EMEA News
UCO and POME Now Key Feedstocks in EU Biofuel Production
Used cooking oil (UCO) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) have emerged as two of the most important waste-based feedstocks for biofuel production in the EU, as the region continues its shift away from crop-based feedstocks.
UCO now accounts for 24% of the EU’s biofuel feedstock mix, making it the single largest waste-based input, according to the recent European Biodiesel Board (EBB) 2024 Statistical Report.
POME follows at 13%, with both feedstocks together surpassing the use of rapeseed oil, the dominant crop-based feedstock, which holds a 34% share.
Both UCO and POME are increasingly used in marine biofuel blends.
POME, a by-product of palm oil production, can be processed into POMEME, which has been used in biofuel blends at Dutch ports. UCO, when converted into used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME), has been used as a biocomponent in marine fuels at major European and global ports.
"Over the period 2019-2024 we see a relative decline in the use of crop-based feedstocks to about 6.5 Mt (39% of EU feedstock use)," the report states.
"Relatively speaking, demand for waste-based feedstocks steadily rises, overtaking crop-based around 2022 as the main feedstock."
The report also highlights a sharp decline in Chinese fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) exports to the EU following the European Commission’s anti-dumping investigation.
Chinese FAME volumes had surged through 2022 and early 2023, peaking at over 1 million mt in 2023, before dropping sharply after July 2024, coinciding with the pre-disclosure of the investigation on July 19 and the announcement of provisional duties on August 16.
