Soap stock acid oil price launch: frequently asked questions 

Fastmarkets launches a soap stock acid oil (SSAO) price assessment in Europe’s biggest trading hub – Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp (ARA), aiming to increase transparency in the biofuel feedstocks market, particularly in the niche advanced feedstocks category. The first price assessment is scheduled to go live on May 8.

What is soap stock acid oil and how does it fit into the renewable energy supply chain? 

The vegetable oil refining process creates various by-products, including soap stocks, which come as a result of neutralization, with alkali used to remove free fatty acids (FFA) from the oils. 

Soap stocks are then treated with sulphuric and phosphoric acids to become SSAO, rich in FFA. 

This biofuel feedstock is considered advanced in a number of European countries, with producers developing SSAO supply chains from South America and Africa to ensure feedstock availability to meet European biofuel mandates. 

Why is it the right time to launch an SSAO price assessment? 

Demand for SSAO and other niche feedstocks increased following recent restrictions for palm oil mill effluent (POME) exports from Indonesia, which have until recently been a key advanced feedstock for biodiesel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in the Netherlands and a handful of other countries in European Union. 

Monitoring SSAO prices helps market participants understand supply-demand dynamics and assess competitiveness in the renewable fuels industry among a range of feedstocks and allows them to manage risk associated with sudden price movements. 

Who should be interested in the launch? 

This launch will be useful for a wide range of market participants across the biofuel industry, including feedstock suppliers, traders, biofuel producers, vegetable oil crushers as well as financial institutions.  

What is the methodology behind Fastmarkets’ SSAO spot price assessment? 

Fastmarkets’ soap stock acid oil cif Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp spot price is a weekly price assessment following the Fastmarkets’ pricing calendar. It adheres to IOSCO principles to ensure high standards in price reporting. The assessment process involves expert reporters who collect data on spot trades, bids, offers and cross-check rumoured deals or movements in related commodities. Data are analysed and reviewed through multiple stages before publication to ensure transparency and accuracy. 

Who can I reach out to if I have further questions? 

For more details, contact pricing.ags@fastmarkets.com

What to read next
Fastmarkets proposes to discontinue the following duplicate prices, which were previously assessed on a US timestamp and also assessed in Asia, to better reflect observed market liquidity and based on previously received market feedback. Fastmarkets assessed these markets in both the US and Asia following the acquisition and merger of The Jacobson and Palm Oil […]
Fastmarkets has proposed several changes to the methodologies for its suite of global palm and lauric oil methodologies to give more insight into how these prices are assessed. It is also clarifying the timing and monthly rolls of several assessments. Fastmarkets has observed growth and market interest in these prices and wishes to give more […]
Chicago and Kansas wheat futures decreased on Friday December 5 as market participants focused on ample global supplies and favorable growing conditions in competing export regions, such as Europe and Canada.
Fastmarkets is launching two price assessments for palm oil mill effluent (POME) for loading out of ports in Malaysia in Indonesia, to meet growing interest from biofuel producers and consumers in Europe and other parts of Asia. The first publication of these two price assessments will be on Thursday December 4 and will be published […]
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the methodology for assessing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) base cost of production in the US, effective January 5, 2026.
US corn futures moved higher on Friday November 28, reflecting strong export sales and private export sales reported by the USDA.