Used Cooking Oil (UCO)
Quick Overview
Used cooking oil is a premium circular feedstock for renewable fuels and bio-chemicals — waste-to-value, double counting in EU.
Overview
Waste lipid feedstock for HVO/HEFA renewable diesel, SAF, and bio-based chemicals (azelaic acid, sebacic acid, polymer precursors). Major circular feedstock — diverts waste from sewage, avoids land use. EU counts double toward renewable targets. Supply limited, fraud risk (virgin palm oil mislabeled as UCO).
Key Concepts
Used cooking oil is a premium circular feedstock for renewable fuels and bio-chemicals — waste-to-value, double counting in EU.
Industry Landscape
Major Companies & Projects
Neste, Diamond Green Diesel, ENI, TotalEnergies, Preem, Renewable Energy Group, Greenergy, Olleco, Valley Proteins are actively developing used cooking oil (uco) technologies and applications.
Applications
HVO/HEFA renewable diesel, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Azelaic/sebacic acid (→ Polyamides), Bio-lubricants, Surfactants
Standards & Certifications
ISCC EU, RSB, RED II Annex IX, RFS2
Related Terms
circular-economy, hydrothermal-liquefaction, bio-based, mass-balance-approach, iscc-plus, saf
Further Reading
- Industry reports from Nova-Institute, European Bioplastics, ISCC
- Peer-reviewed literature in Green Chemistry, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
- Regulatory updates from EU Commission, USDA BioPreferred, FDA
Standards & Certifications
- ISCC EU
- RSB
- RED II Annex IX
- RFS2
Major Producers
- Neste
- Diamond Green Diesel
- ENI
- TotalEnergies
- Preem
- Renewable Energy Group
- Greenergy
- Olleco
- Valley Proteins
Key Applications
- HVO/HEFA renewable diesel
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
- Azelaic/sebacic acid (→ Polyamides)
- Bio-lubricants
- Surfactants