Sustainable Production of Glycerol

Following the boom in biodiesel and oleochemical manufacturing that started in 2004, the glycerol market traditionally dominated by oleochemical/soap suppliers and by selected manufacturers of petrochemical glycerol has been completely reshaped. In about a decade, the yearly glycerol output reaching the marketplace has gone up from a few 100 000 tons to 4 million tons in 2014, independently of market demand. This study investigates the sustainability of bioglycerol production and utilization a decade after the beginning of the bioglycerol era.