Biobased Glycerol

Glycerol (or glycerin), a trihydroxy alcohol, is a widely used compound in personal care, pharmaceuticals, food, and chemical manufacturing. While most biobased glycerol today is a byproduct of biodiesel production, dedicated microbial or catalytic production methods are gaining traction for high-purity and specialty applications.

This blog explores the production routes of biobased glycerol, showcases a global case study, highlights startup activity, and outlines commercialization progress with a clear technology readiness path.

How Biobased Glycerol is Produced

1. Biodiesel Byproduct (Dominant Route)

• Produced during transesterification of vegetable oils or waste oils with methanol.
• Typically yields 1 ton of glycerol per 10 tons of biodiesel.
• Requires refining to remove methanol, salts, and soaps.

2. Fermentative Glycerol Production

• Engineered microbes (e.g., E. coli, S. cerevisiae) convert glucose or lignocellulose hydrolysates into glycerol under anaerobic conditions.
• Improved via strain optimization and pathway engineering.

3. Chemical Conversion from Biomass

• Biomass sugars are hydrogenated to glycerol or intermediates like dihydroxyacetone.
• Catalysts (e.g., Ru, Ni) facilitate mild-condition conversion.

Case Study: Oleon and ADM

Highlights:

• Oleon uses vegetable oils for biodiesel and co-produces glycerol.
• High-purity glycerol refined for personal care and food.
• ADM integrates biodiesel plants with glycerol recovery and refinement.

Timeline & Outcome:

• 2008–2012: Biodiesel growth leads to glycerol oversupply.
• 2015: Oleon begins major investments in refining glycerol.
• 2022: New facility in Oirschot, Netherlands goes operational to supply high-purity glycerol to EU markets.

Startups Working on Biobased Glycerol

• Glycell (Australia): Leverages glycerol in biomass pretreatment and sugar extraction.
• GFBiochemicals (France/Italy): Uses glycerol for bio-solvents and levulinic acid derivatives.
• Novozymes – Eversa™ (Denmark): Enzymatic transesterification technology generating higher-purity glycerol under milder conditions.

India’s Position

India produces over 1.2 million tons of crude glycerol annually from biodiesel. Companies like Emami Agrotech and Universal Biofuels supply it for pharma, paints, and personal care sectors. 

Commercialization Outlook

Market & Applications:

• Global glycerol market: $3.5B in 2024, projected to exceed $5B by 2030.
• Key sectors: Cosmetics, pharma, food, resins, and polyurethanes.

Drivers:

• Expansion of biodiesel programs.
• Rising demand for natural and non-toxic humectants.
• Push for sustainable ingredients in personal care.

Challenges:

• Purification: Crude glycerol contains impurities needing energy-intensive refinement.
• Oversupply risk: Market saturation from biodiesel spikes.
• Lack of integration: Few players valorize glycerol into high-value chemicals (e.g., epichlorohydrin, propanediol).
• Fermentation scale-up: Titers and yields in microbial processes still under optimization.

Progress Indicators

• 2005–2010: EU biodiesel boom generates surplus glycerol.
• 2012–2018: Glycerol finds use in bio-solvents, antifreeze, and green polymers.
• 2021–2023: Oleon’s refining plant in Netherlands operational; Novozymes’ enzymatic tech adopted.
• 2024: Refining capacity expanding across EU and India to support cosmetics and pharma sectors.

TRL: Crude glycerol from biodiesel – TRL 9; pharma/cosmetic-grade refining – TRL 8–9; fermentative production – TRL 5–7; catalytic biomass routes – TRL 4–6.

Conclusion

Biobased glycerol is a key co-product of biodiesel and a foundational green chemical. While purification and value addition remain challenges, startups like Glycell and innovators like Oleon are pushing the boundaries. In India, abundant crude glycerol provides a strong base—yet there’s significant opportunity to invest in valorization and fermentation-based production. As cleaner formulations gain traction, biobased glycerol will remain central to sustainable product development across industries.

Wish to have bio-innovations industry or market research support from specialists for climate & environment? Talk to BioBiz team – Call Muthu at +91-9952910083 or send a note to ask@biobiz.in