Biodiesel Blend Rate Calculator
Quantify the vegetable oil demand implied by biodiesel blending mandates. Adjust blend rate and diesel consumption to see how policy changes translate into feedstock absorption.
Blend mandate
EU27 ≈ 175, US ≈ 500, Indonesia ≈ 35, Brazil ≈ 55 (billion litres)
EU RED III target: 14.5% by 2030. Indonesia B35: 35%. US RFS2: ~5%.
Conversion parameters
Vesper tracks daily spot prices for EU and global vegetable oil markets, including the feedstocks that flow into biodiesel: palm, soy, rapeseed, sunflower, updated every trading day.
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0.88 kg/L (FAME standard density)
Mass of biodiesel produced per unit mass of vegetable oil feedstock. Standard FAME process: 95–97%.
Result shows the annual vegetable oil required to meet this blend mandate.
Demand result
policy demand modelBiodiesel required
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Mt / year
Vegetable oil required
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Mt / year
Daily demand
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kt / day
Want live vegetable oil prices to track feedstock costs?
Vesper tracks daily spot prices for palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, and sunflower oil across EU and global markets. See how policy-driven demand intersects with market pricing.
How the calculation works
How does this calculator convert a blend rate into veg oil demand?
The formula takes annual diesel consumption multiplied by the blend rate to get required biodiesel volume. That volume (in litres) is converted to tonnes using FAME density (0.88 kg/L), then divided by the transesterification yield to get the vegetable oil feedstock required.
Why does biodiesel density matter?
Blend rates are measured by volume, but commodity markets trade in tonnes. FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) density is approximately 0.88 kg/L, slightly heavier than fossil diesel (0.84 kg/L). This conversion factor is needed to translate blending volume targets into physical feedstock tonnes.
What is a typical transesterification yield?
The transesterification reaction converts vegetable oil triglycerides into biodiesel (FAME) and glycerol. A well-run continuous process achieves 95–97% yield by mass. The 5% loss accounts for glycerol output, soap formation, and processing inefficiencies.
Which vegetable oils are used for biodiesel, and does it matter which one?
The main global feedstocks are soybean oil (Americas), rapeseed oil (EU), palm oil (Southeast Asia), and sunflower oil. The choice of feedstock does not affect this demand calculator, but it does affect cost economics significantly, CPO is typically the cheapest on a per-tonne basis.