U.S. biodiesel production capacity declined slightly in 2019

According to the most recent data, annual U.S. biodiesel production capacity decreased by 2%, or 49 million gallons, between January 2019 and January 2020. As of January 2020, biodiesel production capacity in the United States totaled 2.5 billion gallons (gal) per year, or 164,000 barrels per day (b/d), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) annual U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity report, released on October 23, 2020.

At the start of 2020, 91 biodiesel production facilities were located in the United States. More than half of the nation’s biodiesel production capacity is in the Midwest (Petroleum Administration for Defense District, or PADD, 2), mainly in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois. Of the top 15 biodiesel-producing states, 9 are located in the Midwest, and they have a total nameplate capacity of 1.5 billion gal/year.

Most other regions have at least a dozen biodiesel production facilities, except for the Rocky Mountain region (PADD 4). As of January 2020, only one biodiesel plant operated in the Rocky Mountain region, and it had a production capacity of less than 0.5 million gal/year.

The annual U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity report shows EIA’s most up-to-date data of U.S. biodiesel capacity by plant.

Principal contributor: Chris Buckner