The history of biodiesel dates back to 1853, when Patrick Duffy described the production by transesterification vegetable oils with alcoholic caustic potash. However, the fuel alternative did not reach its first peak until the Second World War, when there were supply shortages of fossil fuels in many regions and governments developed engines that could run on vegetable oil. In the post-war period, though, the use of biodiesel fell into oblivion due to the easily tapped crude oil deposits and its high and cheap availability. 

In recent years, climate change has increasingly come to the attention of both individuals and governments. The main cause is considered to be the high global emission of the climate-damaging gas carbon dioxide (CO2). To curb this trend, the German government obliged the mineral oil industry to add biofuels on a percentage basis. Today, biodiesel is the most important biofuel in Germany with a domestic production capacity of about 4 million tonnes per year. Biodiesel is an alternative to fossil diesel and is offered in blends B5 and B7. In addition, trucks in particular can be fueled with pure biodiesel (B100). Biofuels therefore make an important contribution to alternative energy supply for the economy as well as consumers and thus protect the environment. The average greenhouse gas saving of biodiesel was 81 percent in 2019. 

Producers are constantly improving processes and achieving high savings through the increased use of renewable energy and heat recovery in the manufacturing process. Moreover, producers use not only vegetable oils, but also various raw materials such as used cooking oils and fats, fatty acids, or other oleaginous residues to achieve the optimal CO2 savings. 

For decades, WISTEMA GmbH has been a loyal partner of the biodiesel industry and contributes at various points of the value chain. Starting with the procurement of elementary raw materials such as methanol, fatty acids, or vegetable oils, we make our customers' daily work easier. We take care of sourcing, transport, and documentation. Furthermore, we work hand in hand with our partners to acquire new side streams that can be used for biodiesel production. 

During production in the biodiesel plant, the transesterification process results not only in the main product biodiesel, but also in the valuable by-product glycerine. Glycerine from biodiesel production has completely replaced glycerine from fossil production. Depending on the process and the plant, this glycerine can be produced in different qualities for which different applications apply. WISTEMA has established distribution channels for all qualities: for the purification of wastewater, as a humectant in baked goods, or to produce creams in the cosmetics industry.