Biomass-based diesel production at all-time high over first five months

When the coronavirus reached pandemic proportions in mid-March, gasoline and diesel supply rapidly moved began to descend.  Ethanol output reacted swiftly with output dropping from a billion gallons per day to 537 million within five weeks.  Ethanol is generally about 10 percent of every transportation gallon of gasoline. As gasoline supply plunged on reduced demand, ethanol supply quickly followed.

The same did not hold for biodiesel and renewable diesel output following the pandemic announcement.  The decline in diesel supply was less severe than for gasoline since the trucking and delivery industry was not impacted to the same degree as the light duty vehicle market.  Biodiesel and renewable diesel also do not account for 10 percent of every diesel gallon. Their proportion is more along the lines of two to two and half…