Darling Ingredients Inc., a major U.S. producer of renewable diesel, defended imports of used cooking oil (UCO) as a feedstock to produce biofuels. An increase in UCO shipments from China has stirred speculation that some imports may not be authentic and instead are mixed with fresh vegetable oils, potentially undermining U.S. biofuel laws.
Chinese imports are “a legitimate source of used cooking oil,” Darling Chief Executive Officer Randall Stuewe said, noting that there are 12.6 million restaurants in China and only 700,000 in the United States. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t some bad actors out there, but at the end of the day there are legitimate suppliers,” Stuewe said at the BMO Global Farm to Market conference in New York.
Darling, a food ingredient seller, produces renewable diesel through its Diamond Green Diesel partnership with Valero Energy Corp. Stuewe noted Diamond Green’s first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant under construction in Port Arthur, Texas, is close to being completed. He didn’t provide projected date for starting SAF production at the plant. Start a Pro Farmer free trial and get access to more news, market analysis and advice.
