Renewable Fuels Feedstock

The wastier, the better…

The renewable fuels industry is booming. Through legislation, financial credits and cooperation from significant industry sectors, the incentive to use biofuels is greater than ever. As a result, feedstocks are in high demand.

In 2021-2022, nearly 40 percent of soybean oil went to biofuel production. Competition with the food industry led to a dramatic spike in the cost of soybean oil. The same trend impacted the price of canola and palm oils. Since feedstocks account for up to 80 percent of the cost of polished biofuels, refineries are trying to find other, more cost-effective alternatives, such as waste biomass. When it comes to feedstocks, it seems the wastier, the better.

Why Brown Grease?

Brown Grease, or FOG (fats, oils & grease), is created by the food industry as a byproduct of food preparation. Disposed of as grease trap waste alongside biosolids and water, the majority of brown grease ends up in landfills or incinerators. Downey Ridge Environmental Company developed Greasezilla to ecologically process and repurpose this waste stream.

Greasezilla’s brown grease ABF is a low-moisture, low CI feedstock for:

  • Renewable Diesel
  • Sustainable Aviation Fuel
  • Biodiesel
  • Marine Fuel

Greasezilla’s batter layer also serves as an ideal feedstock for anaerobic digesters in the production of biogas.

Advantages of Brown Grease Feedstock

Lower Feedstock Costs

Brown grease has no value when sent to landfills or incinerated as waste. It does not compete with land use or the food industry.

As a feedstock, brown grease is a low-cost option for refineries.

Lower Carbon Intensity

Agricultural feedstocks require intensive production costs and land use that factor into their lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, or carbon intensity.

In comparison, waste feedstocks generally have very low carbon intensity.

Available Waste Source

The EPA estimates that between 800 and 17,000 pounds of grease trap waste is produced per restaurant, per year.

As more waste is redirected to Greasezilla, a greater percentage of brown grease can be recovered from the waste stream.

Greater Sustainability

Greasezilla feedstock:

Reduces landfill waste and methane emissions.

Repurposes waste into biofuel resources.

Supports the reduction of GHG emissions in the transportation, aviation and shipping fuel sectors.