Which plant is used in biodiesel?

Several plants are used to produce biodiesel; the most common globally are soybean, rapeseed/canola, and oil palm. In many textbooks and in India, Jatropha curcas is frequently cited as a biodiesel plant, though its commercial performance has been mixed. Biodiesel is made by converting plant oils into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) through a chemical process, and the choice of plant varies by region, climate, and market.

What makes a plant suitable for biodiesel?

Plants suited for biodiesel typically produce abundant oil-rich seeds or fruit, grow reliably in the target climate, and can be cultivated with acceptable economic and environmental costs. Oil composition (especially the balance of saturated and unsaturated fats) also matters because it affects cold-flow properties, oxidative stability, and fuel quality.

Major biodiesel plants by region

The following list highlights leading oilseed and oil-bearing plants currently or historically used to make biodiesel around the world, along with their typical regional prominence and key traits.

• Soybean (Glycine max) — Dominant in the United States and Brazil; a staple feedstock for biodiesel due to a large existing oilseed industry.
• Rapeseed/Canola (Brassica napus) — Primary feedstock in the European Union and Canada; valued for favorable cold-weather performance.
• Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) — High-yield tropical crop used extensively in Indonesia and Malaysia; raises significant sustainability and deforestation concerns if not certified.
• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) — Used in parts of Europe and Eurasia; offers good-quality oil but lower yields than rapeseed in many climates.
• Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) — Long promoted for non-edible oil on marginal lands; commercial results have varied, but it remains a known biodiesel plant, especially in South Asia and Africa.
• Camelina (Camelina sativa) — A short-season oilseed gaining traction in North America and Europe as a rotational or cover crop; used in biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel pathways.
• Pongamia/Karanja (Millettia pinnata, syn. Pongamia pinnata) — A hardy, nitrogen-fixing tree producing non-edible oil; drawing interest in Australia, India, and parts of the U.S. for low-input cultivation.
• Castor (Ricinus communis) — Produces a very viscous oil; often blended or processed carefully for fuel applications; grown in India, Brazil, and parts of Africa.
• Mustard (Brassica juncea) — Used regionally in South Asia; oil can be converted to biodiesel, with agronomic co-benefits in rotations.
• Peanut/Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), Cottonseed (Gossypium spp.), and Coconut (Cocos nucifera) — Used locally where supply chains exist, including island nations and tropical regions for coconut.

While many plants can yield biodiesel-grade oil, actual usage depends on established supply chains, policy incentives, and sustainability credentials. Globally, soybean, rapeseed/canola, and palm oil account for the majority of plant-based biodiesel.

How plant oils become biodiesel

Biodiesel production typically converts triglycerides in plant oils into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) via transesterification. The steps below outline the standard pathway.

1. Harvest and oil extraction: Seeds or fruit are crushed/pressed; solvent extraction may be used for higher yields.
2. Pre-treatment: Degumming and neutralization remove impurities (phospholipids, free fatty acids) that can foul catalysts.
3. Transesterification: Oil reacts with methanol (or ethanol) in the presence of a base catalyst (commonly NaOH or KOH), creating FAME (biodiesel) and glycerol as a byproduct.
4. Separation and washing: Biodiesel is separated from glycerol, then washed or dry-washed to remove residual catalyst, soaps, and methanol.
5. Polishing and testing: The fuel is dried, filtered, and tested to meet standards such as ASTM D6751 or EN 14214.
6. Blending and use: Biodiesel is blended with petroleum diesel (e.g., B5, B20) or used neat (B100) depending on engine compatibility and climate considerations.

This well-established process allows a wide range of plant oils to be converted into a standardized fuel that can power diesel engines, subject to quality control and blending practices.

Sustainability and land-use considerations

Choosing a biodiesel plant feedstock involves weighing environmental impacts, agronomics, and social factors. The following points summarize key considerations for policymakers, producers, and buyers.

• Yield and inputs: High-yield crops (e.g., oil palm) can reduce land footprint per liter but may require careful management and certification to avoid deforestation.
• Land use change: Indirect and direct land use change can negate greenhouse gas benefits; certified sustainable supply chains are crucial.
• Water and soil health: Irrigation demand, erosion risk, and fertilizer use vary by crop and region; regenerative practices can improve outcomes.
• Food vs. fuel: Edible oilseeds (soy, canola) intersect with food markets; non-edible oils (jatropha, pongamia) and cover crops can ease competition.
• Waste oils advantage: Used cooking oil and animal fats often deliver lower carbon intensity than virgin plant oils and are increasingly favored where available.
• Lifecycle emissions: True climate benefits depend on full lifecycle analysis, including farming, processing, transport, and co-product credits.

In practice, the most sustainable biodiesel strategies blend regional agronomy with robust certification and growing use of waste-derived oils to minimize carbon intensity.

Emerging trends (2024–2025)

Recent developments are shaping which plants—and which lipids more broadly—power the biodiesel market alongside renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

• Cover-crop oilseeds: Camelina and Carinata are gaining attention as rotational or winter crops that add oil supply with limited land-use change.
• Tree oils: Pongamia plantations are expanding in Australia, India, and the U.S. Southeast as a low-input, non-edible oil source.
• Quality tailoring: Breeding and gene editing are improving oil profiles for better cold flow and oxidation stability in biofuels.
• Shift to waste lipids: Policy and carbon-scoring systems increasingly reward used cooking oil and other waste fats over virgin oils.
• Fuel pathway diversification: Many producers favor hydrotreated renewable diesel (HVO/HEFA) for performance, using the same plant oils; this influences crop demand.

These shifts suggest a more diversified feedstock base, with greater emphasis on low-carbon wastes and oilseeds that fit into sustainable crop rotations.

Summary

Multiple plants are used for biodiesel, notably soybean, rapeseed/canola, and oil palm, with sunflower also common and Jatropha curcas widely cited in educational contexts. The best choice depends on regional agriculture, fuel standards, and sustainability goals. As policies prioritize lower carbon intensity, waste oils and emerging oilseeds like camelina and pongamia are playing a larger role alongside traditional crops.

Who is the largest producer of biodiesel?

1. United States – 6.056 Billion Liters. In 2023, the United States had the capability to produce 23 billion gallons of biofuels annually, showing a 6% increase from 2022. This capacity encompasses renewable diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, and other types of biofuels.

What plants are used for biofuel?

These so-called “energy crops” include wheat, corn, soybeans and sugarcane [source: Walker]. Biofuels burn cleaner than fossil fuels, releasing fewer pollutants and greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. They are sustainable, and energy companies often mix biofuels with gasoline.

Which plant is used as biodiesel?

the Jatropha plant
Jatropha is a Flowering plant.
While Malaysia uses Palm Oil, the US uses Soyabean and European nations use sunflower seeds for the production of biodiesel, the Indian government preferred to use the Jatropha plant for the production of biodiesel.

What crop is biodiesel made of?

Vegetable oils (mainly soybean oil) are the main feedstocks for U.S. biodiesel production. Other major U.S. biodiesel feedstocks include animal fats from meat processing plants and used (recycled) cooking oil and yellow grease from restaurants.