Distillers Corn Oil Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Distillers Corn Oil Market is projected to grow from USD 6.12 Billion in 2025 to USD 8.13 Billion by 2031, achieving a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 4.85%. Distillers corn oil is a valuable co-product generated during the ethanol production process, specifically extracted from thin stillage before the formation of dried distillers grains. This market expansion is primarily driven by the escalating demand for low-carbon feedstocks within the renewable diesel and biodiesel sectors, as energy producers increasingly prioritize sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Furthermore, the product’s high caloric value makes it an essential high-energy ingredient for the poultry and livestock feed industries, ensuring consistent demand from the agricultural sector.

However, the market faces distinct challenges such as volatility in raw material costs, which can significantly disrupt profit margins and supply chain stability. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, U.S. biorefineries produced over 4.5 billion pounds of distillers corn oil in 2024, a record volume attributed to optimized extraction capabilities. While this data highlights the sector's robust production capacity, the reliance on corn pricing remains a critical factor that could impede future stability and expansion efforts.

Market Drivers

Escalating demand for biodiesel and renewable diesel feedstocks acts as the primary catalyst propelling the Global Distillers Corn Oil Market. As regulatory frameworks increasingly incentivize low-carbon intensity fuels, biofuel producers are aggressively procuring distillers corn oil due to its favorable carbon profile compared to soybean oil and other vegetable alternatives. This trend is particularly evident in the renewable diesel sector, where the fuel’s "drop-in" nature requires consistent, high-volume feedstock streams that offer both regulatory compliance and economic viability. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, corn oil consumption by biofuel producers expanded to 419 million pounds in September 2025, underscoring the critical role this feedstock plays in meeting the sector's escalating production targets.

Technological advancements in corn oil extraction efficiency are simultaneously expanding market supply to meet this heightened consumption. Ethanol facilities are widely integrating next-generation mechanical separation technologies and chemical additives to maximize oil recovery rates from thin stillage, significantly exceeding historical yield benchmarks. These innovations allow producers to unlock additional value from the same corn input, directly boosting profitability and supply availability without requiring increased corn grind. According to ICM Inc., the installation of its FOT Oil Recovery system at a Western New York Energy facility in June 2025 resulted in corn oil yields increasing to as much as 1.20 pounds per bushel, while the USDA reported that monthly corn oil production expanded to 221,174 tons in October 2025, reflecting the industry's growing capacity to serve the energy sector.

Market Challenges

Volatility in raw material costs represents a substantial barrier to the consistent growth of the global distillers corn oil market. As this commodity is a co-product of ethanol manufacturing, its production volume and cost structure are intrinsically tied to the dynamics of the corn market. Unpredictable fluctuations in grain prices, driven by factors such as weather patterns or geopolitical shifts, directly impact the operational expenditures of biorefineries. This instability creates a precarious financial environment where input costs can rise rapidly, narrowing the profit margins necessary to sustain processing operations.

The heavy reliance on this single agricultural feedstock amplifies financial risks for producers. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, in 2024, the U.S. ethanol industry processed approximately 5.3 billion bushels of corn to maintain operational output, illustrating the deep dependency producers have on raw material availability. Consequently, price instability in the corn sector can disrupt long-term supply agreements and deter investment in capacity expansion, thereby impeding the overall development of the distillers corn oil sector.

Market Trends

Integration into Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chains is rapidly emerging as a transformative trend, diverting distillers corn oil from traditional road transport biodiesel markets toward the high-growth aviation sector. As the aviation industry strives to meet aggressive decarbonization targets, refiners are increasingly utilizing corn oil in Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathways, which offer a proven, drop-in solution for jet engines. This strategic pivot allows producers to capture higher margin opportunities associated with aviation-grade biofuels compared to standard renewable diesel. According to Ethanol Producer Magazine, in January 2025, Valero Energy Corp. confirmed that the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project at its Diamond Green Diesel Port Arthur plant was fully operational, providing the facility with the optionality to upgrade approximately 50% of its 470 million-gallon annual production capacity to SAF.

Simultaneously, the market is witnessing a Transition to Low-Carbon Intensity Pricing Structures, where value is increasingly tied to carbon intensity scores rather than simple commodity indices. Regulatory frameworks are effectively penalizing virgin crop feedstocks while incentivizing waste-derived inputs, creating a tiered pricing environment that heavily favors corn oil for its lower carbon footprint compared to soybean oil. This regulatory preference creates a distinct financial premium for the commodity in jurisdictions with strict emissions caps. According to the California Air Resources Board, in November 2024, proposed amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard designated distillers corn oil as a waste feedstock, explicitly exempting it from the 20% crediting limitation applied to virgin vegetable oils and enhancing its value in regulated carbon markets.

Key Players Profiled in the Distillers Corn Oil Market

• Archer-Daniels-Midland Co
• Green Plains Inc.
• Cardinal Ethanol LLC
• Redfield Energy LLC
• POET LLC
• United Wisconsin Grain Producers LLC
• Aemetis Inc.
• Ace Ethanol LLC
• Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC
• RPMG Inc.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Distillers Corn Oil Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Distillers Corn Oil Market, by Distillation Type:

• Dry-Milling Distillery
• Wet-Mill Distillery
• Others

Distillers Corn Oil Market, by End User:

• Biodiesel Manufacturing
• Livestock Feed
• Others

Distillers Corn Oil Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Distillers Corn Oil Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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