Biodiesel can be used as an alternative fuel to traditional or ‘fossil diesel’. Biodiesel from used cooking oil and waste cooking oil is carbon neutrality, a significant advantage. Understand FSSAI RUCO guidelines for used cooking oil disposal, record-keeping requirements and authorised UCO collection in India.

As the world’s appetite for energy continues to grow, the search for eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fossil fuels has become increasingly crucial. One such alternative is biodiesel, and an exciting avenue of biodiesel production is through used cooking oil. This article delves into the potential of converting used cooking oil into biodiesel, the benefits it offers, and its positive environmental impact.

Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly, renewable, biodegradable and non-toxic alternative to transport fuel that has received a lot of attention around the globe. It can be made from various feedstocks containing fatty acids, such as animal fats and nonedible oils. The transesterification process is commonly employed for its formation. The best catalysts for biodiesel production are those that are heterogeneous.

The Power of Used Cooking Oil

WCO (waste cooking oil) and UCO (used cooking oil) refer to vegetable oils used in cooking but are not viable for further use in food production. There are many sources of used cooking oil, including commercial, industrial, and domestic. Used cooking oil is a potentially problematic waste stream that requires proper management. If used cooking oil is not properly disposed of, it can pose a problem.

The properties of cooking oils are altered during frying. Total Polar Compounds are formed by repeated frying. These compounds can cause hypertension, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, it is essential to monitor the quality of vegetable oils during frying. UCO can also be disposed of in the drains, which can cause ecological damage and pose a threat to the environment.

The Hazards of Used Cooking Oil

It is dangerous to use recycled cooking oil for cooking. However, it is not environmentally friendly to dispose of used cooking oil. It is best to use it industrially, namely to make biodiesel. In recent years, it has become more important to find an alternative source of energy that is sustainable and friendly for the environment.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set a 25 percent limit on Total Polar Compounds to protect consumer health. Beyond that, vegetable oil should not be used in cooking. FSSAI launched Repurposed Cooking Oil (RUCO) to create an environment that allows the collection and conversion used cooking oil (UCO) into biodiesel.

These oils and fats can be reused to reduce the burden on the government for disposing of waste and maintaining public sewers. They also help lower the cost of producing biodiesel.

The Environmental and Economic Benefits

India’s most popular fuel is diesel, which is made from crude oil. India is 85 percent dependent on imports for this reason. India used 72.7 million tonnes of diesel (or 8,000 crore litres) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021. If diesel from fossil oil is combined with a combustible diesel, imports could be decreased.

India has recently experimented with doping diesel containing a small amount of biodiesel from used cooking oil in an effort to reduce import dependence and carbon emissions.

To begin with, biodiesel from used cooking oil (UCO) is being used in diesel to make 7 percent. The supply of this fuel has been started recently.

The country consumes approximately 23 million tonnes of edible oils annually. Three million tonnes of the oil are thrown away after being used, and it is known as used cooking oil. It is possible to produce 222 crore litres annually of UCO, but there is no infrastructure for collecting waste or used cooking oil,” Indian Oil Corporation Chairman S M Vaidya stated.

Latest Developments in India

India’s National Policy on Biofuels identifies UCO as a priority feedstock for biodiesel, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is promoting domestically collected UCO to reduce dependence on imported feedstocks such as palm stearin. Oil Marketing Companies have expanded procurement of UCO-based biodiesel through supply arrangements across an increasing number of locations nationwide.

Under FSSAI’s RUCO framework, food business operators consuming more than 50 litres of edible oil per day for frying are required to maintain records of UCO disposal and channel it only to authorised collectors. FSSAI has provisionally enrolled 63 Non-Food Production units – including biodiesel and soap manufacturers – to collect UCO, with enrolment extended up to 31 July 2026 or until state-level mechanisms are established.

RUCO operates through a structured aggregator network: authorised collectors gather UCO from hotels, restaurants, canteens and other food businesses, then route it to biodiesel or soap manufacturers. This creates traceability and helps prevent diverted or repeatedly used oil from re-entering the food chain.

Goa has emerged as an important state-level example. Its approved UCO policy provides for a dedicated processing unit, aggregator-led collection, safe storage and handling norms, penalties for non-compliance, and market-based incentives – aligning local waste management with India’s circular-economy and biofuel goals.

Market and Policy Outlook

Despite policy support, India’s biodiesel blending remains constrained by the limited and inconsistent availability of suitable feedstocks. Estimates suggesting that blending may remain below 1% in 2026, against the government’s 5% target for 2030, highlight the gap between policy ambition and current supply capacity. These projections should be assessed against the latest official blending data and procurement figures. Expanding UCO-based biodiesel production alone will not close this gap, as collection volumes, feedstock quality, processing capacity, logistics and competing uses all affect the quantity of oil available for fuel production.

For India, UCO-based biodiesel therefore offers a triple benefit: improved food-safety enforcement reduced urban waste and sewer-blockage risks, and a lower-carbon transport fuel that substitutes imported oil. The opportunity lies in formalising collection from smaller food outlets and households, strengthening digital tracking of UCO movement, and ensuring reliable offtake by biodiesel producers.

Opportunity for Oil Companies

The oil companies launched an expression of interest (EoI), seeking biodiesel made with UCO. They offered a fixed price for five years and a guarantee for ten years.

At the industry level, there have been 30 LOIs (by IOC and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd BPCL and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd HCCL), which will provide 26.62 million litres of biodiesel over the next few years.

Indian Oil Corporation also issued 23 LOIs to biodiesel plants, with a total capacity 22.95 million litres. According to a statement, IOC received 51 kilolitres UCO-Biodiesel from its Tikrikalan terminal at Delhi as per this initiative,” the company stated.

Biodiesel contributes less to global warming than other fossil fuels since the carbon in oil and fat is mainly from carbon dioxide in the air. Diesel engines operating on biodiesel have lower carbon monoxide emissions, unburned hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and air toxics than when operated on petroleum-based diesel fuel.

| ALSO READ: Biodiesel from Poultry Waste and Chicken Slaughter

Conclusion

The land used to produce edible oil for biodiesel feedstock is not the same as the land used for food production. The price of vegetable and edible oils is often higher than that of petro diesel. Production of biodiesel from used cooking oil reduces the costs significantly. As biodiesel feedstock, it is important to prioritize the nonedible and waste cooking oils.

Biodiesel has superior emissions, flash point, lubricity, and cetane numbers to fossil diesel fuel, but without significant differences in the heat of combustion. Biodiesel also returns approximately 90% more energy than the energy used to make it.

In some cases, biodiesel can be mixed with diesel to power any conventional compression ignition engine. No modifications are required. Biodiesel has been incorporated in many countries around the globe, especially in advanced countries such as Brazil, France, and the USA. It is used in various proportions with diesel because of its benefits, including being renewable in nature, low price, and potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. India could also consume 41.14% less diesel fuel if it used resources such as waste cooking oil or other bio-wastes for its biodiesel production.

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FAQs About Biodiesel Production from Used Cooking Oil

  1. What is biodiesel, and why is it important?

    Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic alternative to traditional diesel fuel. It is environmentally friendly and helps reduce dependence on fossil fuels while lowering carbon emissions.

  2. What is used cooking oil (UCO), and why is it significant?

    Used cooking oil (UCO) is vegetable oil that has been used for frying and is no longer suitable for food preparation. It poses environmental hazards if improperly disposed of but can be repurposed to produce biodiesel, reducing waste and environmental impact.

  3. How does biodiesel production from UCO benefit the environment?

    Biodiesel from Used cooking oil (UCO) reduces greenhouse gas emissions, minimizes waste in landfills, and provides a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. It also has lower carbon monoxide and particulate emissions than petroleum diesel.

  4. What is the role of the FSSAI in UCO management?

    The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set a limit of 25% Total Polar Compounds (TPC) in cooking oil. Beyond this threshold, oil must not be reused for cooking. The RUCO (Repurposed Used Cooking Oil) initiative facilitates the collection and conversion of UCO into biodiesel.

  5. What is the potential of UCO in India for biodiesel production?

    India generates approximately 3 million tonnes of Used cooking oil (UCO) annually, with the potential to produce 222 crore litres of biodiesel. However, the infrastructure for collecting and processing UCO needs to be developed.

  6. How is biodiesel made from used cooking oil (UCO)?

    Biodiesel is produced from UCO using a transesterification process. The reaction involves converting fatty acids in the oil into biodiesel using a catalyst, typically a heterogeneous catalyst for better efficiency.

  7. What are the economic benefits of biodiesel production from UCO?

    Repurposing UCO for biodiesel reduces waste management costs, decreases reliance on imported crude oil, and provides a lower-cost alternative to conventional diesel fuel.

  8. How is India promoting biodiesel production from UCO?

    Oil companies in India have launched expressions of interest (EoI) for biodiesel production using UCO. They provide fixed-price guarantees for biodiesel supply and support initiatives like RUCO to encourage collection and conversion of UCO.

  9. What makes biodiesel a better fuel option than petroleum diesel?

    Biodiesel has superior emissions profiles, higher lubricity, and a better cetane number than petroleum diesel. It is also renewable, biodegradable, and less toxic.

  10. What are the challenges in scaling biodiesel production from UCO in India?

    Challenges include the lack of an organized UCO collection system, limited infrastructure for biodiesel production, and higher initial investment costs for setting up processing plants.

Suggested Reading

  • Rummi Devi Saini; “Conversion of Waste Cooking Oil to Biodiesel” International Journal of Petroleum Science and Technology; Volume 11, Number 1(2017), pp. 9-21
  • Kulkarni MG, Dalai AK; “Waste cooking oil an economical source for biodiesel: a review”. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 2006;45:2901-13.
  • https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/diesel-doped-with-biodiesel-made-from-used-cooking-oil-rolled-out/82398223