Biofuel Feedstock Demand Up 12% in March as Soybean Oil, Corn Oil Reach Record Highs: EIA

U.S. biofuel producers consumed 30.337 billion lbs of total feedstock in March, an 11.8% increase from the previous month, as soybean oil and corn oil led this increase by reaching the highest utilization rates for their respective biofuel inputs since the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) began tracking biofuel feedstock utilization in 2019, according to data released by the agency on Friday.

Total soybean oil use at biodiesel and renewable diesel plants in March was 1.283 billion lbs, up 21.3% from February and the highest-ever consumption rate on record. The previous record stood at 1.273 billion pounds in July 2023.

Biodiesel plants comprised the majority of soybean oil use, taking in 697 million lbs, up 20.8% from February. This marked the highest consumption rate for the vegetable oil since December 2024, when plants consumed the same amount. Soybean oil for renewable diesel production rose 22% month-to-month to 587 million lbs, the highest since July 2024.

At 432 million lbs in March, corn oil demand at biodiesel plants rose 33.1% compared to February and reached the highest consumption rate ever in the EIA’s seven years of tracking biofuel feedstock demand data.

In the waste oils, fats, and greases category, yellow grease demand, which includes used cooking oil, increased 17.2% in March versus February to 314 million lbs. This was the highest consumption rate since January, when biofuel plants consumed 353 million lbs.

Tallow usage rose 11.35% month-to-month to 559 million lbs, but utilization of the feedstock is still down 20.6% compared to the same month in 2025, when it stood at 704 million lbs. White grease demand was pegged at 48 million lbs in March, up 29.7% compared to February and the highest usage since September 2025.

Canola oil usage at biomass-based diesel plants surged 113.2% to 403 million lbs in March compared to the previous month and reached the highest utilization rate since December 2024.

Meanwhile, corn used at ethanol plants in March increased 10.27% from the previous month to 26.594 billion lbs. This was the highest demand rate for the grain since December 2025 and 4.86% above the same month a year ago, when plants consumed 25.362 million lbs.

Grain sorghum demand inched 0.18% higher in March to 560 million lbs, the highest consumption rate since January, and still ran 25.3% higher than the same month in 2025.

–Reporting by Bryan Sims, bsims@opisnet.com; Editing by Jordan Godwin, jgodwin@opisnet.com