Growing demand for glycerin to keep up with supply increases

Biodiesel Magazine
By Bryan Sims January 25, 2011

Biodiesel production is expected to pick up in 2011 and, with the implementation of the U.S. EPA’s RFS2 requiring petroleum refiners to blend at least 800 million gallons of biomass-based diesel this year, a steady climb in glycerin volume is anticipated to flood into the marketplace. While glycerin has long been used in a variety of pharmaceutical and industrial applications, multiple research efforts are underway aimed at exploring other cost-effective uses of the biodiesel coproduct.

One of those areas being considered in particular is glycerin’s use as a potentially feasible feedstuff for swine. According to a study led by University of Illinois graduate research assistant Omarh Mendoza, diets for growing-finishing pigs may include up to 15 percent glycerin and achieve similar performance compared to conventional corn/soybean meal diets. The research was published in the Journal of Animal Science.

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