We broker fish oil and marine fats from fish processing residues into fuel and oleochemical outlets. The parameter that decides everything is the iodine value: fish oil is far more unsaturated than other feedstocks, which usually rules out FAME and points the material at hydrotreatment. The largest export origin is South East Asia, where pangasius processing in the Mekong Delta produces fat as a by-product at scale; Peru and Chile supply anchovy-derived oil, and northern Europe supplies herring and whitefish streams. We never take title.
- 1Collection or rendering
- 2Pretreatment
- 3Certified trade
- 4Producer: HVO, SAF or FAME
- 5Fuel in the tank
The value is created at step three: without the certification the same molecule is worth what tallow was worth twenty years ago.
Why fish oil goes to hydrotreatment and not to FAME
This is the single most useful thing to know about the product, and it saves a lot of wasted conversations. Fish oil carries long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, the same omega-3 chains that make it valuable in feed and nutrition. That unsaturation is measured as iodine value, and it is high.
EN 14214 caps iodine value at 120 g iodine per 100 g for fatty acid methyl ester. Fish oil normally sits well above that. The standard itself acknowledges the problem: its iodine value calculation procedure expressly does not apply to esters made from fish oil. Untreated fish oil methyl ester is therefore not a route to a compliant European FAME, and no amount of blending optimism changes that.
- Hydrotreatment works, and is the normal route. Hydrogenation saturates those double bonds, bringing iodine value, oxidation stability and acid value into range. That is why HVO and SAF producers are the natural buyers rather than FAME plants.
- Oxidation stability is the other consequence. The same double bonds oxidise, so fish oil ages faster than most feedstocks. Storage time, temperature and whether the parcel was blanketed are fair questions.
- Sulphur and phosphorus decide whether a hydrotreater will take it. Marine streams are not always low in either, and a catalyst bed is expensive.
- Free fatty acid tells you how the fish was handled. High FFA usually means the raw material sat warm before rendering, and it moves the price more than sellers expect.
What a buyer screens on
Fish oil is assayed like any other fat, with two differences: iodine value carries more weight than anywhere else, and the feed market is always sitting underneath as an alternative buyer.
| Parameter | What it decides | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Iodine value | FAME or hydrotreatment | The parameter that governs. Above 120 the EN 14214 route closes |
| FFA (free fatty acid) | Price within the grade | Reflects how quickly the raw material was processed |
| Moisture and impurities | Yield and claim risk | Marine streams carry more solids than vegetable oils |
| Oxidation stability, peroxide value | Whether it survives the voyage | Ask about blanketing and antioxidant addition |
| Sulphur and phosphorus | Hydrotreater acceptance | Governs catalyst life, not product quality |
| Species and stream | Certification and outlet | Pangasius, anchovy, herring and whitefish behave differently |
| ABP category and approval number | Whether it may legally move | Processing residues sit under animal by-product rules |
The feed market sets the floor, and that is unusual. Most waste feedstocks have no competing buyer worth the name. Fish oil does: aquafeed and omega-3 refiners want the same barrel, and they pay for exactly the unsaturation a fuel producer has to hydrogenate away. When feed demand is strong, fuel buyers cannot compete, and a seller should know which of the two markets they are in before they start negotiating.
Where it comes from, and what that means for documents
Origin drives the paperwork more than it drives the chemistry.
- South East Asia is the largest export origin. Pangasius processing in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta generates fat as a by-product at real scale, moving in bulk and in flexitank. Most enquiries we see originate here.
- South America, principally Peru and Chile, supplies anchovy-derived oil, though most of that volume is committed to omega-3 and feed.
- Northern Europe supplies herring, mackerel and whitefish streams, usually already inside the EU animal by-product framework.
Annex IX status is the question to settle first, and it does not have a single answer. Fish oil is not named as its own entry the way used cooking oil is. Whether a given stream qualifies, and under which entry, depends on the stream, the certification body's view and the member state's implementation. Do not price a term contract on an assumption here. Get it confirmed in writing by the certifier before volume is committed, because the difference between qualifying and not qualifying is larger than any negotiation on price. See Annex IX feedstocks.
For material from outside the EU there is a second layer: animal by-product import rules, the approval status of the establishment, and the border control post. None of it is exotic, but all of it takes longer than a first-time exporter expects.
How we broker it
We act for processors with continuous arisings who want a reliable home for them, and for hydrotreaters and oleochemical producers who need a consistent stream rather than an occasional parcel.
Most of the work is not finding a counterparty. It is getting the documentation into a state a European buyer can accept, which for a first-time exporter is genuinely the hard part. We say early and plainly whether a stream is placeable as it stands, because the alternative is everyone spending three months finding out it was not.
- We never take title and we do not trade our own book.
- We introduce, we do not intermediate the cargo. Buyer and seller contract directly.
- We say no when it is no. A stream without a credible certification route is not a deal waiting to happen.
Frequently asked questions
Can fish oil be used to make biodiesel?
Not straightforwardly, and this is the most common misunderstanding about the product. Fish oil is highly unsaturated, so its iodine value normally exceeds the 120 g iodine per 100 g ceiling EN 14214 sets for fatty acid methyl ester. The standard goes further and states that its iodine value calculation procedure does not apply to fish oil esters at all. The practical route is hydrotreatment, which saturates the double bonds and produces HVO or SAF rather than FAME.
Is fish oil an Annex IX feedstock?
It is not listed as its own entry the way used cooking oil is. Whether a particular stream qualifies, and under which entry, depends on the stream itself, the certification body's assessment and the member state's implementation. Get it confirmed in writing by your certifier before committing volume. We would rather say that than give you a confident answer that turns out to be worth nothing.
What iodine value does fish oil have?
Higher than vegetable oils and much higher than animal fats, because of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that make fish oil valuable in nutrition. The exact figure varies by species, season and processing, which is why it belongs on the analysis rather than in a general statement. What matters commercially is that it usually sits above the EN 14214 limit.
Where does fish oil for biofuel come from?
The largest export origin is South East Asia, where pangasius processing in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta produces fat as a by-product at scale. Peru and Chile supply anchovy-derived oil, though most goes to omega-3 and feed. Northern Europe supplies herring, mackerel and whitefish streams already inside the EU animal by-product framework.
Why is fish oil sometimes more expensive than other waste feedstocks?
Because it has a competing buyer that most waste feedstocks do not. Aquafeed producers and omega-3 refiners want the same material, and they pay for exactly the unsaturation a fuel producer has to hydrogenate away. When feed demand is firm, fuel buyers cannot compete. Establish which of the two markets you are in before negotiating.
What documents do I need to export fish oil to Europe?
At minimum: the animal by-product category and the approval number of the processing establishment, the health certificate, the analysis, and a sustainability certification if the material goes into fuel. For a first-time exporter the documentation is usually the bottleneck rather than the product, so start on it in parallel with the commercial discussion rather than after it.
Do you buy fish oil?
No. We are brokers and we never take title. We introduce a seller to a buyer who can genuinely take the material, and the two of you contract directly.
Can you place off-spec or oxidised fish oil?
Sometimes, and it is worth asking rather than assuming. Oxidised material no longer acceptable to a feed buyer may still be usable to a hydrotreater or an oleochemical producer, because they are buying carbon chains rather than nutritional quality. Send the analysis and we will tell you honestly whether there is a home for it.
Market news
Recent headlines from across the feedstock and renewable fuel sector. Nothing specific to this market has come through the wires lately, so this is the wider view. The links go to the publisher; we do not host or edit their reporting, and a headline here is not our endorsement of it. Scroll for more.
- Indonesia’s palm oil export growth slows ahead of B50 biodiesel rollout
- Sorghum producers urge US Senate to preserve year-round E15
- Peninsula and Evos plan biofuel hub at Algeciras
- PureCycle increases revenue in Q3
- PowerCell clinches SEK 21 million order for integrated Fuel-to-Power system
- MFA looking to address maritime liens in bunker contracts to support the understanding of rights, risks, and remedies for stakeholders
- BASF’s engineering plastics plants in Shanghai and Zhanjiang certified ISCC PLUS
- BASF: ISCC Plus-Zertifizierung von zwei Produktionsstandorten für technische Kunststoffe in China
- IPG launches new PCR Air Pillow Film
- New IMarEST analysis evaluates IMO NZF amendment options ahead of ISWG-GHG 22
- Results of new MESD study ‘demonstrate the qualified readiness of existing large harbour craft in Singapore for B100 adoption’
- Envision to explore green hydrogen design for Sasol’s Sasolburg facility
- INEOS and Recuro sign memorandum of understanding to construct advanced recycling facility in Norway
- Scaling circular investment: From barriers to opportunity
- Circular Packaging Challenge 2026: international open call for startups advancing packaging circularity
- RI.CIRCO.LO.: helping Lombardy's SMEs develop circular initiatives in priority sectors
- Axens launches a new ERA for French SAF
- Public procurement: the hidden EU bioeconomy driver
18 headlines, updated automatically. Last refreshed .
Sources and further reading
Primary sources for the rules and figures on this page, so you can check them yourself. Legislation is amended: always read the consolidated text on the date that matters to you.
Who to ask about Fish oil and marine fats
Just ask. Fish oil to place? Send the FFA, the moisture and impurities, the iodine value and the origin of the stream. You get Bart van den Brug on the other end, same working day, in English or Dutch, and across the team also in French, Portuguese, Polish, Czech and Russian.
On how we work: we are a broker, so we never take title and we do not trade our own book. We are paid a commission on business that concludes, which is why you will also hear it from us when the answer is no, or when your parcel is not ready for the conversation you want to have. A market read or a second opinion on a specification costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Happy to look at whatever you have, even if it is half an analysis and a question.
+31 6 115 83 448
[email protected]
Sustainable Commodities 3 B.V., Lemmer, the Netherlands
Last reviewed 09 August 2026. Regulatory references are given for orientation and are not legal advice: verify against the current Official Journal text before contracting.