Global demand for biofuels from animal fats is growing

Rendered animal fats from poultry, pigs and cattle have been used for many years in pet food and in the oleochemical sector for soaps and cosmetics. But their use as transportation fuels, now mostly in cars and trucks, is causing concern for climate scientists.

This is happening, in part, as aviation companies have recently struck deals with suppliers of "sustainable aviation fuel" (SAF), which often includes animal fats.

A study by Cerulogy for the Clean Transportation Campaign Group Transport and Environment found that the supply of animal fat in biodiesel has increased 40-fold since 2006. Demand for animal fats in biofuels is projected to triple by 2030 compared to 2021. This feedstock is expected to be the most used material in SAF after used cooking oil as fuel suppliers invest heavily in processing animal fats for biodiesel and other fuels.

Europe already burns 46% of all animal fats in the form of biodiesel, according to the study, making transport the largest consumer of such fats. But its availability is limited, and Transport and Environment has calculated that to fully fuel a transatlantic flight between Paris and New York, you would need the fat of 8,800 pigs for a one-way flight. Carbon dioxide emissions from animal fat-based biofuels can be up to 1.7 times higher than conventional diesel fuel.