Neste Refines Used Cooking Oil into Renewable Fuels
Finnish company Neste Oyj is processing used cooking oil into renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. This circular economy approach reduces reliance on fossil resources and mitigates waste.
Neste Oyj, a Finnish energy company, is transforming used cooking oil (UCO) into renewable fuels such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. The company reports that its process cleans the waste oil and refines it into efficient, low-emission fuels.
Used cooking oil is collected from restaurants, food industry facilities, and households. Neste emphasizes that this material, which would otherwise become waste or cause issues in sewage systems, serves as a valuable feedstock. It can also be used to produce polymers and chemicals for bio-based plastic products.
Neste highlights stringent oversight in its raw material sourcing. It ensures the reliability of suppliers and collection networks, as well as the quality and origin of the used cooking oil. The company audits its suppliers to verify compliance with requirements for traceability and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
The circular economy model employed reduces dependence on fossil resources. Neste cites its partnership with McDonald's in the Netherlands as an example, where used cooking oil from the restaurants is refined into fuel at Neste’s Rotterdam refinery.