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.
US Senate bill would cut extra subsidy for SAF
US Senate bill would cut extra subsidy for SAF
New York, 16 June (Argus) — The US Senate tax-writing committee is proposing cutting a tax credit's extra subsidy for low-carbon jet fuels over road fuels and introducing less-restrictive limits on foreign biofuel feedstocks, major shifts from current law and the House version of the bill. Republicans have planned to use a far-reaching budget bill this year to alter climate policies from the Inflation Reduction Act, which created a new tax credit for clean fuel producers known as "45Z". The House passed its version of the bill last month, which would have kept the general structure of that incentive — upping fuel subsidies as emissions fall — and extended the incentive by four additional years through 2031. The credit took effect this year. But the Senate Finance Committee in draft language released Monday floated its own changes, suggesting that Republican lawmakers are not yet aligned on how to alter the subsidy just weeks before President Donald Trump has pushed lawmakers to pass the major bill into law. The Senate draft proposes offering a maximum subsidy of $1/USG for all fuels based on their carbon intensities starting next year. The House made no changes to that part of the law, which currently offers road fuels up to $1/USG and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) up to $1.75/USG, plus inflation adjustments for all types of fuel. That change would reduce the incentive's upfront costs — potentially alleviating concerns among some conservative lawmakers that the bill would add to the budget deficit — but could reduce alternative fuel availability for airlines and upend many refiners' plans to convert more renewable diesel output to SAF. "We have always supported tech-neutral biofuel incentives and at first blush the Senate draft seems to be moving toward making 45Z truly tech-neutral," said David Fialkov, executive vice president of government affairs at the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, which had opposed treating aviation fuels differently than road fuels. The Senate proposal would also scrap a provision in the House bill that starting next year would restrict eligibility to fuels derived from North American feedstocks. Instead, the Senate committee has proposed cutting subsidies for fuels from foreign feedstocks by 20pc while still allowing them some credit. That change would provide more flexibility than the House bill to refineries that have scaled up biofuel production in recent years by relying on foreign inputs like used cooking oil and tallow. The Senate draft is just a proposal and could be changed. Both bills notably would extend 45Z and prevent regulators from considering indirect land use change emissions. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US biofuel feed prices jump on blending plan
US biofuel feed prices jump on blending plan
Houston, 16 June (Argus) — Prices for US biofuel feedstocks have risen sharply since the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) late last week proposed ambitious biofuel blending targets for the next two years along with lower incentives for using foreign feedstocks. Futures prices for soybean oil, the most widely used input for biodiesel production, have led the feedstock gains as the market prices in potentially higher demand. The Nymex front-month contract for soybean oil rose by 6.3pc on 13 June and by an additional 7.8pc on Monday to 54.6¢/lb, the highest since October 2023. The proposed targets , released on 13 June, would mandate that an equivalent amount of 5.61bn USG of biomass-based diesel be blended in 2026 and 5.86bn USG in 2027. The proposed volumes exceeded most market expectations and industry requests of 5.25bn USG and were significantly higher than the current-year mandate of 3.35bn USG, fueling expectations for increased biofuel feedstocks demand. In addition, domestic feedstocks may face reduced competition from foreign feedstocks under the proposal, which would cut federal Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credit generation by 50pc for imported biofuels or fuels produced from foreign feedstocks. Biomass-based diesel D4 RINs for the current year rallied Monday morning, trading between 127-132¢/RIN, up significantly from Friday's close of 109¢/RIN. Used cooking oil (UCO) railcar volumes to the US Gulf coast were reported trading at 59¢/lb early Monday morning, a 3.5pc jump from Friday's closing price of 57¢/lb, with additional selling interest emerging in the 60s¢/lb. UCO offers for volumes into California were noted in the high 60s¢/lb, up from last week's close in the high 50s¢/lb. Distillers corn oil (DCO) fob truck volumes in the Midwest traded at 61¢/lb on Monday morning, reflecting a 9pc jump from Friday's close of 56¢/lb. Poultry fat fob truck volumes in the southeast were offered in the low 50s¢/lb, up from last week's closing levels in the low 40s¢/lb, but buying interest has not emerged at those levels. Activity for other renewable feedstocks remains limited for now, but market participants anticipate increased trading later this week, driven by the recent proposal and gains in futures markets. The EPA proposal is currently in an open comment period, with a public hearing scheduled for 8 July. By Payne Williams and Jamuna Gautam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EPA proposes record US biofuel mandates: Update
EPA proposes record US biofuel mandates: Update
Updates with new pricing, reactions throughout. New York, 13 June (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration today proposed requiring record biofuel blending into the US fuel supply over the next two years, including unexpectedly strong quotas for biomass-based diesel. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal, which still must be finalized, projects oil refiners will need to blend 5.61bn USG of biomass-based diesel to comply with requirements in 2026 and 5.86bn USG in 2027. Those estimates — while uncertain — would be a 67pc increase in 2026 and a 75pc increase in 2027 from this year's 3.35bn USG requirement, above what most industry groups had sought. The proposal alone is likely to boost biofuel production, which has been down to start the year as biorefineries have struggled to grapple with uncertainty about future blend mandates, the halting rollout of a new clean fuel tax credit, and higher import tariffs. The National Oilseed Processors Association said hiking the biomass-based diesel mandate to the proposed levels would bring "idled capacity back online" and spur "additional investments" in the biofuel supply chain. The EPA proposal also would halve Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits generated from foreign biofuels and biofuels produced from foreign feedstocks, a major change that could increase US crop demand and hurt renewable diesel plants that source many of their inputs from abroad. US farm groups have lamented refiners' rising use of Chinese used cooking oil and Brazilian tallow to make renewable diesel, and EPA's proposal if finalized would sharply reduce the incentive to do so. Biofuel imports from producers with major refineries abroad, notably including Neste, would also be far less attractive. The proposal asks for comment, however, on a less restrictive policy that would only treat fuels and feedstocks from "a subset of countries" differently. And EPA still expects a substantial role for imported product regardless, estimating in a regulatory impact analysis that domestic fuels from domestic feedstocks will make up about 62pc of biomass-based diesel supply next year. The Renewable Fuel Standard program requires US oil refiners and importers to blend biofuels into the conventional fuel supply or buy credits from those who do. One USG of corn ethanol generates one RIN, but more energy-dense fuels like renewable diesel can earn more. In total, the rule would require 24.02bn RINs to be retired next year and 24.46bn RINs in 2027. That includes a specific 7.12bn RIN mandate for biomass-based diesel in 2026 and 7.5bn in 2027, and an implied mandate for corn ethanol flat from prior years at 15bn RINs. EPA currently sets biomass-based diesel mandates in physical gallons but is proposing a change to align with how targets for other program categories work. US soybean oil futures surged following the release of the EPA proposal, closing at their highest price in more than four weeks, and RIN credits rallied similarly on bullish expectations for higher biofuel demand and domestic feedstock prices. D4 biomass-diesel credits traded as high as 117.75¢/RIN, up from a 102.5¢/RIN settle on Thursday, while D6 conventional credits traded as high as 110¢/RIN. Bids for both retreated later in the session while prices still closed the day higher. Proposed targets are less aspirational for the cellulosic biofuel category, where biogas generates most credits. EPA proposes lowering the 2025 mandate to 1.19bn RINs, down from from 1.38bn RINs previously required, with 2026 and 2027 targets proposed at 1.30bn RINs and 1.36bn RINs, respectively. In a separate final rule today, EPA cut the 2024 cellulosic mandate to 1.01bn RINs from 1.09bn previously required, a smaller cut than initially proposed, and made available special "waiver" credits refiners can purchase at a fixed price to comply. Small refinery exemptions The proposal includes little clarity on EPA's future policy around program exemptions, which small refiners can request if they claim blend mandates will cause them disproportionate economic hardship. EPA predicted Friday that exemptions for the 2026 and 2027 compliance years could total anywhere from zero to 18bn USG of gasoline and diesel and provided no clues as to how it will weigh whether individual refiners, if any, deserve program waivers. The rule does suggest EPA plans to continue a policy from past administrations of estimating future exempted volumes when calculating the percentage of biofuels individual refiners must blend in the future, which would effectively require those with obligations to shoulder more of the burden to meet high-level 2026 and 2027 targets. Notably though, the proposal says little about how EPA is weighing a backlog of more than a hundred requests for exemptions stretching from 2016 to 2025. An industry official briefed on Friday ahead of the rule's release said Trump administration officials were "coy" about their plans for the backlog. Many of these refiners had already submitted RINs to comply with old mandates and could push for some type of compensation if granted retroactive waivers, making this part of the program especially hard to implement. And EPA would invite even more legal scrutiny if it agreed to biofuel groups' lobbying to "reallocate" newly exempted volumes from many years prior into future standards. EPA said it plans to "communicate our policy regarding [exemption] petitions going forward before finalization of this rule". Industry groups expect the agency will try to conclude the rule-making before November. The proposed mandates for 2026-2027 will have to go through the typical public comment process and could be changed as regulators weigh new data on biofuel production and food and fuel prices. Once the program updates are finalized, lawsuits are inevitable. A federal court is still weighing the legality of past mandates, and the Supreme Court is set to rule this month on the proper court venue for litigating small refinery exemption disputes. Environmentalists are likely to probe the agency's ultimate assessment of costs and benefits, including the climate costs of encouraging crop-based fuels. Oil companies could also have a range of complaints, from the record-high mandates to the creative limits on foreign feedstocks. American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers senior vice president Geoff Moody noted that EPA was months behind a statutory deadline for setting 2026 mandates and said it would "strongly oppose any reallocation of small refinery exemptions" if finalized. By Cole Martin and Matthew Cope Proposed 2026-2027 renewable volume obligations bn RINs Fuel type 2026 2027 Cellulosic biofuel 1.30 1.36 Biomass-based diesel 7.12 7.50 Advanced biofuel 9.02 9.46 Total renewable fuel 24.02 24.46 Implied ethanol mandate 15 15 — EPA Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EPA proposes record US biofuel mandates, foreign limits
EPA proposes record US biofuel mandates, foreign limits
New York, 13 June (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration today proposed requiring record biofuel blending into the US fuel supply over the next two years, including unexpectedly strong quotas for biomass-based diesel. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal, which still must be finalized, projects that oil refiners will need to blend 5.61bn USG of biomass-based diesel to comply with requirements in 2026 and 5.86bn USG in 2027. That's a 67pc increase in 2026 and a 75pc increase in 2027 from this year's 3.35bn USG requirement, above what most industry groups had sought. The proposal alone is likely to boost biofuel production, which has been down to start the year as biorefineries have struggled to grapple with uncertainty about future blend mandates, the halting rollout of a new clean fuel tax credit, and higher import tariffs. The EPA proposal also would halve Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits generated for foreign biofuels and biofuels produced from foreign feedstocks, a major change that could increase US crop demand and hurt renewable diesel plants that source many of their inputs from abroad. US farm groups have lamented refiners' rising use of Chinese used cooking oil and Brazilian tallow to make renewable diesel, and EPA's proposal if finalized would sharply reduce the incentive to do so. The Renewable Fuel Standard program requires US oil refiners and importers to blend biofuels into the conventional fuel supply or buy credits from those who do. One USG of corn ethanol generates one RIN, but more energy-dense fuels like renewable diesel can earn more. In total, the rule would require 24.02bn RINs to be retired next year and 24.46bn RINs in 2027. That includes a specific 7.12bn RIN mandate for biomass-based diesel in 2026 and 7.5bn in 2027, and an implied mandate for corn ethanol of 15bn RINs, similar to prior years. EPA currently sets biomass-based diesel mandates in physical gallons but is proposing a change to align with how targets for other program categories work. US soybean oil futures surged following the release of the EPA proposal, and RIN credits rallied similarly. Current year D6 credits, typically generated from conventional ethanol production, traded at 92¢/RIN near the opening of the session before peaking at 110¢/RIN and then retreating slightly. Current year biomass-based diesel D4 RINs followed a similar trajectory, trading up to 116¢/RIN and widening the gap with conventional D6 RINs. Proposed targets are less aspirational for the cellulosic biofuel category, where biogas generates most credits. EPA proposes lowering the 2025 mandate to 1.19bn RINs, down from from 1.38bn RINs previously required, with 2026 and 2027 targets proposed at 1.30bn RINs and 1.36bn RINs, respectively. In a separate final rule today, EPA cut the 2024 cellulosic mandate to 1.01bn RINs from 1.09bn previously required, a smaller cut than initially proposed, and made available special "waiver" credits refiners can purchase at a fixed price to comply. Small refinery exemptions The proposal includes little clarity on EPA's future policy around program exemptions, which small refiners can request if they claim blend mandates will cause them disproportionate economic hardship. EPA predicted Friday that exemptions for the 2026 and 2027 compliance years could total anywhere from zero to 18bn USG of gasoline and diesel. EPA plans to continue a policy from past administrations of estimating future exempted volumes when calculating the percentage of biofuels individual refiners must blend, effectively requiring those with obligations to shoulder more of the burden to meet high-level volume targets. EPA in the proposal said it plans to "communicate our policy regarding [exemption] petitions going forward before finalization of this rule". Industry groups expect the agency will try to conclude the rule-making before November. Notably though, the proposal says little about how EPA is weighing a backlog of more than a hundred requests for exemptions stretching back to 2016. Many of these refiners had already submitted RINs to comply and could push for some type of compensation if granted retroactive waivers, making this part of the program especially hard to implement. An industry official briefed on Thursday ahead of the rule's release said Trump administration officials were "coy" about their plans for the backlog. The proposed mandates for 2026-2027 will have to go through the typical public comment process and could be changed as regulators weigh new data on biofuel production and food and fuel prices. Once the program updates are finalized, lawsuits are inevitable. A federal court is still weighing the legality of past mandates, and the Supreme Court is set to rule this month on the proper court venue for litigating small refinery exemption disputes. By Cole Martin and Matthew Cope Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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