EIA: US biofuel capacity, feedstock consumption down in February

The U.S. Energy Information Administration on April 30 released data showing that approximately 20.64 billion gallons of operatable U.S. biofuels production capacity was in place in February 2021, down from 20.67 billion gallons of capacity in January.

Fuel alcohol capacity was at 17.46 billion gallons in February, down slightly from 17.51 billion gallons in January. Biodiesel capacity was at 2.39 billion gallons, flat with January. Capacity for other types of biofuels, including renewable diesel, renewable heating oil, renewable jet fuel, renewable naphtha, and renewable gasoline, also held steady at 791 million gallons.

The EIA estimates that approximately 18.72 billion pounds of corn went to U.S. biofuel production in February, down from 23.24 billion pounds in January.

The volume of poultry fat used to produce biofuels was flat at 34 million pounds. Approximately 66 million pounds of tallow went to biofuel production in February, down from 84 million pounds in January. The use of white grease also dropped slightly, from 53 million pounds in January to 50 million pounds in February. An estimated 198 million pounds of yellow grease went to biofuel production in February, down from 263 million pounds in January. An additional 3 million pounds of other forms of fats oils and greases was used as biofuel feedstock in February, down from 6 million pounds during the first month of the year.

Approximately 85 million pounds of canola oil was used to produce biofuels in February. Corn oil use and soybean oil use were at 155 million pounds and 552 million pounds, respectively, down from 213 million pounds and 683 million pounds.

An additional 63 million pounds of feedstock classified as other was used to produce U.S. biofuel in February, down from 84 million pounds in January.

Feedstock data for grain sorghum and yard and food waste was withheld to avoid disclosing individual company data.

Additional data is available on the EIA website.