Neste rejects USDA claims it received fraudulent UCO volumes

Neste has rejected claims that it may have received fraudulent used cooking oil (UCO) volumes at its renewable products refinery in Singapore.
This was made in the recently published USDA Biofuels Annual Report (1 September, 2023) that referred specifically to virgin palm oil from Indonesia exported fraudulently as UCO via China.
The company said it takes suspected fraud cases seriously and investigates them accordingly.
In addition, the company continuously evaluates the quality and authenticity of the raw material volumes it receives, conducting thorough laboratory analyses of the samples of UCO volumes it receives to its terminals from China.
Neste said that the recent analyses of UCO received from China do not support the USDA’s assertions - hence the company believes that the reference to Neste in the USDA report is either a mistake or based on a misunderstanding.
Neste will contact the appropriate authorities at the USDA to discuss and learn more about the assertions in the report.
It sources traceable UCO and other renewable raw materials globally from carefully selected suppliers.
The company evaluates its suppliers and accepts renewable raw materials only from those suppliers that are able to meet strict criteria for sustainability and end-market regulation.
A spokesman said: “Neste ensures traceability of the sourced raw materials as is required by law, and uses audits, carried out by independent third-party experts and Neste itself, to monitor sustainability performance of suppliers. This also helps us reduce the risk of fraud within its supply chains.
“Neste does not import conventional biofuels (i.e. biobased diesel in the USDA report) nor renewable diesel (i.e. hydrogenation derived renewable diesel in the USDA report) from China or Indonesia to the European market or elsewhere.
“Instead, it produces its high-quality renewable products such as renewable diesel at its own refineries. Hence any suggestions that Neste would somehow be involved in the Chinese or Indonesian biofuels exports to Europe or elsewhere are incorrect.”