Biofuels and feedstocks
Overview
Demand for biofuels is increasing significantly, driven by the need to decarbonise road transport as part of the energy transition. Global biofuels output is expected to rise by more than 3mn b/d in the next five years, and such rapid growth means that new challenges and opportunities are constantly emerging. Keeping on top of the ever-changing biofuels landscape requires accurate pricing, insightful analysis and access to the latest data.
The Argus biofuels solution provides in-depth pricing and market analysis across the entire global renewable fuel supply chain, from original feedstock to finished fuel, with prices and key insights into regional biodiesel, ethanol and feedstock markets.
Latest biofuels news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global biofuels industry.
Indonesia’s Alfamart invests $1mn in UCO firm Noovoleum
Indonesia’s Alfamart invests $1mn in UCO firm Noovoleum
Singapore, 11 July (Argus) — Indonesian convenience store retail chain Alfamart said this week it has invested $1mn into Singapore-based used cooking oil (UCO) collector Noovoleum. Noovoleum — established in 2023 — automates UCO collection in Indonesian cities, including in Java, Sumatra and Bali, with their "UCOllect" boxes, of which there are 100. It collects about 100t of UCO a month, which is sold to domestic buyers such as UCO aggregators, said the company's chief investment officer Egis Rimkus. Citizens deposit UCO into the boxes, which have an in-built quality testing system. They will then receive cash via the "UCOllect" application, if the quality of the oil is accepted. The rate varies every month and is currently at 5,500 rupiah/litre ($0.34/litre). There are now boxes at 12 Alfamart outlets across Indonesia. The final use of the UCO is unconfirmed, but some could be processed into biodiesel, market participants said. Indonesia has halted exports of UCO since January. There have been recent attempts to export refined UCO under a HS code unaffected by the ban, but bulk volume trades have likely still not been successful, traders told Argus . Noovoleum is in advanced negotiations with possible partners in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in light of Indonesia's export halt, with at least one partnership to be launched this year, Rimkus added. Noovoleum also placed "UCOllect" boxes at 10 gas stations belonging to state-owned Indonesian refiner Pertamina last December. This was part of a pilot project between the two. Pertamina has been trialling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production since the second quarter of 2025 , but large-scale production of SAF and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is expected only in 2029 , the refiner said. By Sarah Giam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US biofuel support clears way for new crush capacity
US biofuel support clears way for new crush capacity
New York, 10 July (Argus) — North American oilseed crushers told Argus that projects to increase processing capacity are on track for the next year, potentially enabling more renewable fuel production. After a difficult start to the year for biofuel producers, US policymakers are increasingly making clear that they want refiners to up their output in future years and rely more on domestic feedstocks like soybean oil. That could pave the way for more oilseed crush capacity to come online, after some facilities delayed or cancelled plans over the last year on stagnant demand. Companies confirmed to Argus that more than 620,000 bu/d of new soybean and canola crush capacity were on track to come online in North America in the next year, and other facilities that did not respond to requests for comment have plans in the coming years too. Greater vegetable oil supply also could at least partly address concerns from oil and biofuel refiners that Republicans' protectionist approach to biofuels threatens feedstock shortages and price spikes. A multi-seed crush facility under construction in Mitchell, South Dakota — which will be able to process up to 96,000 bu/d of soybeans — is scheduled to start up this October, South Dakota Soybean Processors chief executive Tom Kersting told Argus. US crush company Ag Processing similarly said that a new 137,000 bu/d soybean crush plant in David City, Nebraska, will open "later this year". In Canada, Cargill confirmed that a 121,000 bu/d canola processing plant in Regina, Saskatchewan is also on track to open this year. In the first half of next year, French agribusiness Louis Dreyfus said it plans to complete two major projects in North America. The company plans to open a 151,000 bu/d soybean crush plant in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and to double capacity to more than 240,000 bu/d at a canola crush facility in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. US soybean oil futures have climbed by 12pc in the past month on recent policy shifts, providing more incentive for processors — already crushing more soybeans than ever before — to expand production. The US recently proposed record-high biofuel blend mandates for the next two years, projecting that domestic soybean oil production could increase by 250mn USG/yr. And President Donald Trump over the weekend signed legislation that retools a crucial US tax credit to increase subsidies for crop-based fuels. Canadian canola processors, which depend on US incentives because Canada's biofuel sector is far smaller, benefit less from some of these policy shifts. While US fuels made from Canadian feedstocks can still claim the tax incentive next year, the Trump administration has proposed halving credits generated under the biofuel blend mandate for fuels made from foreign feedstocks. That makes US soybean oil a far more attractive input for US refiners than Canadian canola oil. A Canadian farm cooperative earlier this year paused plans for a combined canola crush and renewable diesel plant in Regina, Saskatchewan, citing "regulatory and political uncertainty". And Bunge was vague about its plans for building the world's largest canola crush plant in the same city, which was initially envisioned to start up last year. The US-based agribusiness, which recently took over the project with its acquisition of Viterra, told Argus it was "focused on integration to ensure a smooth transition for our customers" and "may be able to provide an update in the near future". Even then, canola oil stands to benefit from increased demand from food companies if more US soybean oil is diverted to fuel markets. And despite recent struggles for other Canadian biorefineries, ExxonMobil subsidiary Imperial Oil has plans to soon open a 20,000 b/d renewable diesel plant in Alberta that will draw on canola oil. Canadian policymakers have taken steps to assuage local feedstock suppliers and refiners, including a domestic renewable fuel mandate in British Columbia and a proposed mandate in Ontario. Biofuel production and oilseed crush margins also will depend on interactions with other policies, including a temporary tax break through 2026 in the US for small biodiesel producers — historically more reliant on vegetable oils than more versatile renewable diesel plants — as well as low-carbon fuel standards in the US west coast region and Canada. The perennial risk for any company is that policy, especially around biofuels, often swings unexpectedly. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil eyes retaliatory tariffs on US
Brazil eyes retaliatory tariffs on US
Rio de Janeiro, 10 July (Argus) — Brazil will consider reciprocal tariffs if US president Donald Trump goes ahead with his threat of a 50pc charge on imports from Brazil, president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. "Any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in accordance with Brazil's economic reciprocity law," Lula posted on social media late on Wednesday. He defended Brazil's sovereignty and said the country "will not accept any form of tutelage". He rebutted Trump's claim that the US has a "very unfair trade relationship with Brazil", pointing to its long-running trade surplus. Brazil has run a trade deficit for goods and services with the US adding up to over $400bn over the last 15 years, finance minister Fernando Haddad said in a televised interview. "This is an eminently political decision, because there is no economic rationale in this measure," he said. The US is Brazil's second-largest trading partner behind China, receiving $40.3bn worth of exports in 2024, according to the Brazilian secretary of foreign trade. It is the main market for Brazilian manufactured goods. The national confederation of industries (CNI), a lobby group, called for negotiations with the Trump government "to preserve the countries' historical trade relationship". A group representing the powerful agribusiness lobby in congress, FPA, also called for diplomatic negotiations. The tariffs can "severely hamper production, investments and supply chains between the two countries," US-Brazilian chamber of commerce Amcham said. The tariffs bring uncertainty to the country's oil and gas sector, Brazil's oil chamber IBP said. Crude is Brazil's main export to the US, accounting for $5.8bn last year. "We are cautiously assessing the true impacts on investments and competitiveness on our industry," IBP said. The Brazilian real slumped against the US dollar in the wake of Trump's announcement, dropping to R5.6/$1 on Thursday morning before rallying slightly. A weaker real increases production costs for Brazilian companies who rely on imports. A letter that Trump sent on Wednesday to Lula is one of the 22 that the US leader has sent to his foreign counterparts since 7 July, announcing new tariff rates that the US will charge on imports from those countries. "I don't think that this situation will continue," Haddad said of the "unsustainable" 50pc levy, highlighting Brazil's diplomatic tradition. By Constance Malleret Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil eyes retaliatory tariffs on US
Brazil eyes retaliatory tariffs on US
Rio de Janeiro, 10 July (Argus) — Brazil will consider reciprocal tariffs if US president Donald Trump goes ahead with his threat of a 50pc charge on imports from Brazil, its president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. "Any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in accordance with Brazil's economic reciprocity law," Lula posted on social media late on Wednesday. He defended Brazil's sovereignty and said the country "will not accept any form of tutelage". He rebutted Trump's claim that the US has a "very unfair trade relationship with Brazil", pointing to its long-running trade surplus. The US is Brazil's second-largest trading partner behind China, receiving $40.3bn worth of exports in 2024, according to the Brazilian secretary of foreign trade. It is the main market for Brazilian manufactured goods. The national confederation of industries (CNI), a lobby group, called for negotiations with the Trump government "to preserve the countries' historical trade relationship". A group representing the powerful agribusiness lobby in congress, FPA, also called for diplomatic negotiations. A letter that Trump sent on Wednesday to Lula is one of the 22 that the US leader has sent to his foreign counterparts since 7 July, announcing new tariff rates that the US will charge on imports from those countries. By Constance Malleret Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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