Glycerine: Production
Why output follows fuel policy rather than demand
What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.| Measure | Figure | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| World capacity | not applicable as a primary product; refining capacity not published | not published | |
| World output | about 5-6 Mt pure glycerol equivalent (indicative) | derived from biodiesel and fatty_acids tiles (indicative) | |
| Capacity utilisation | not applicable | Supply is inelastic to glycerine prices; surplus crude is burned, fed to animals or digested when prices fall. | indicative |
| Concentration | supply mirrors biodiesel: Indonesia, the EU, Brazil and the US dominate (indicative) | Company shares are not published; the largest suppliers are biodiesel and oleochemical groups (Wilmar, Musim Mas, KLK, ADM, Cargill, Oleon). | indicative |
| New capacity | supply additions follow biodiesel: Indonesia B50, if implemented (postponed in Jan 2026), would add roughly 0.4 Mt of crude glycerine a year (derived: about 4 Mt more FAME x 0.1) | Godrej plans to double glycerine capacity (+24 kt). HVO growth in the US and EU adds no glycerine. | palm_oil tile (GAPKI B50 estimate); Godrej Industries release, 3 Jul 2025; derived |
Top producing countries
- Indonesia: largest exporter of refined (1.00 Mt, $0.51 billion) and crude (0.88 Mt, $0.29 billion) glycerine (2024)
- European Union (Germany, Netherlands): from about 10.6 Mt FAME and oleochemicals; Germany $0.33 billion refined exports (2024)
- Brazil: 0.60 Mt crude exports (2024) from soy biodiesel
- United States: from FAME (about 1.15 billion gallons in 2025) and fat splitting; also imports refined
- Malaysia: 0.45 Mt refined exports (2024)
- Argentina: smaller since biodiesel output was cut from late 2022 (Argus)
Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmar International largest biodiesel and fatty acid producer, so a leading glycerine source (indicative) | Singapore / Indonesia | not published | 2025 | not published |
| Musim Mas refined glycerine exporter (indicative) | Singapore / Indonesia | not published | 2025 | not published |
| KLK Oleo integrated oleochemicals (indicative) | Malaysia | not published | 2025 | not published |
| Cargill biodiesel and refined glycerine in the Americas and Europe (indicative) | US | not published | 2025 | not published |
| ADM biodiesel glycerine; bio-propylene glycol from glycerine (indicative) | US | not published | 2025 | not published |
| Oleon (Avril) European oleochemical glycerine (indicative) | Belgium / France | not published | 2025 | not published |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godrej Industries (Chemicals) part of a Rs 750 crore expansion | India | 48 kt a year after expansion (derived: capacity doubled by adding 24 kt) | 2025-2030 | Godrej Industries release, 3 Jul 2025 |
| VVF glycerine from fat splitting (indicative) | India | not published | 2025 | not published |
India's glycerine comes from fat splitting at oleochemical plants (Godrej, VVF) and a small biodiesel sector. It imports crude glycerine (128 kt, $44 million, 2024) and refined glycerine ($50 million), and exported about 8 kt of refined glycerine (UN Comtrade). Refined kosher glycerine sold at $1,430-1,490/t CIF west coast India in March 2026 (Argus).
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Imports refined glycerine, mostly from Indonesia (about 11,200 t arrived in the weeks to 27 Feb 2026, Argus); crude prices fell as FAME output weakened. |
| EU | Imports refined glycerine from Indonesia (about 6,700 t in Dec 2025, Argus); large crude market priced in euro. |
| India | Net importer of crude and refined glycerine; Godrej expanding. |
| China | Largest importer of crude glycerine (56% of world import value, 2024) for refining and epichlorohydrin. |
| Japan | Small importer (indicative). |
| Middle East | Imports at a premium; delivered prices in Saudi Arabia were much higher than in Asia in Q2 2026 (IMARC). |