What is UCO?

Used cooking oil (UCO) is fats and oils originating from commercial or industrial food processing operations, including restaurants, that have been used for cooking or frying. Feedstocks characterised as UCO contain only fats, oils, or greases that were previously used for cooking or frying operations and are used to produce biofuels.

What are the advantages of Argus UCO price assessments?

UCO is an essential feedstock for the biofuels industry, used to produce “waste-based” fuels including biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and other biofuels. Global demand for UCO has risen as mandates for fuels that are not made from food and feed crops are increasingly promoted by governments in Europe and around the world.

Argus’ independent price assessments for UCO provide critical visibility into a disparate and opaque, but fast-growing market.   

Prices capture the value of UCO that is compliant with both the European and the US markets. Prices marked RED abide by the latest EU Renewable Energy Directive, while those marked EPA are compliant with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s requirements. 

Helping drive further transparency into the UCO market, Argus Open Markets (AOM) for Asia Biofuels includes UCO RED bulk fob China, Premium UCO RED bulk fob China and UCO RED bulk fob Strait of Malacca. 

This daily platform allows companies to place bids and offers and to initiate trades, allowing you to see the market as it develops in real time and providing a robust and transparent input for price assessments.

How are these prices used? 

The Argus UCO price assessments are trusted references used in contract settlement for supply agreements. Users include renewable diesel and sustainable aviation producers, biodiesel producers, UCO collectors, traders and brokers, among many others.

How to access Argus UCO price assessments

Argus publish daily independent assessments for a range of UCO prices in Argus Biofuels. This service delivers trusted price assessments for finished fuels, feedstocks and environmental tickets alongside insightful commentary, news and analysis for the global biofuels markets.

Learn more about Argus assessments for European UCO prices and US UCO prices.