ReFeed builds SAF supply chain from UCO
In Korea, The Korea Herald reported that ReFeed is building a business around used cooking oil, an increasingly critical feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel.
With SAF mandates expanding in Europe and set to begin in Korea in 2027, demand for such feedstocks is expected to increase.
“The success of the SAF industry depends not on producing the fuel, but on securing the feedstock supply chain,” ReFeed CEO Lee Chung-ho, said.
Three years ago, the company entered Vietnam and built a collection network from the ground up, backed by patented technology that digitizes the process, the report added.
“In Vietnam, traditional collectors dominate the used cooking oil market but lack the technology to enable certification, contributing to opacity and illegal reuse. Newer entrants, meanwhile, often lack field experience,” Lee said.
In Korea, where the used cooking oil market is estimated at 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons a year, Lee said clearer legal classification, stronger incentives and stricter traceability at the collection stage are needed to unlock its potential as SAF feedstock.
According to Lee, for years to come, demand for biofuel inputs is expected to outpace supply as SAF mandates expand and similar decarbonization efforts emerge in shipping, the report added.
Category: SAF
