What Pacific Biodiesel does

Pacific Biodiesel, founded in 1995 on Maui by Bob and Kelly King, is a privately held, vertically integrated renewable fuel producer and the longest-operating biodiesel company in the United States. The company operates a 6 million-gallon-per-year refinery on Hawai'i Island that converts used cooking oil (UCO) collected from restaurants statewide and, more recently, locally grown oilseed crops (sunflower, macadamia) into distilled biodiesel meeting ASTM D6751 premium 1-B quality standards. Its core technology is a proprietary three-stage process: transesterification of vegetable oils and fats into fatty acid methyl esters, followed by high-vacuum distillation and dry refining. A distinctive technical capability is the ability to process highly degraded feedstocks with up to 50% Free Fatty Acid (FFA) without yield loss, paired with a zero-waste refining approach that recovers methanol, glycerin, and excess fatty acids and burns distillation byproducts as boiler fuel. Beyond fuel production, the company runs regenerative agriculture on Maui and Kaua'i (1,000+ acres on Kaua'i as of 2024), a sister brand (Maiden Hawaii Naturals) producing Kuleana Hawai'i Grown culinary oils, and ancillary grease trap and drain services on O'ahu.

The business is geographically concentrated entirely in Hawai'i, where Pacific Biodiesel is the only commercial producer of liquid biofuels. It generates revenue primarily through transaction-based biodiesel sales to a diversified base of electric utilities (Hawaiian Electric, KIUC), government fleets (City & County of Honolulu, DLNR, U.S. Army), commercial operators (Maui Brewing, Fair Wind Cruises, Magic Island Construction), and marine customers, distributed via a direct sales team, an established fuel distributor network (Maui Oil, Aloha Petroleum, Par Hawaii), company-owned off-grid fueling stations accessible through the PrimeFMS mobile app, and B20 retail blends at partner gas stations. Supporting revenue streams include paid grease trap pumping, drain cleaning, and culinary oil sales; the UCO collection service itself is provided free of charge as a feedstock-acquisition and customer-relationship channel. The company employs approximately 100 people statewide, with 50 at the Hawai'i Island refinery, and has stated a capacity-expansion plan to 16 MGY by 2033 with 100% locally sourced feedstock by 2030.

The company's strategic positioning rests on three decades of regulatory compliance, multi-island infrastructure that would be uneconomical to replicate, and embedded customer relationships (Hawaiian Electric since 2003, City & County of Honolulu B20 fleet for 15+ years). Recent strategic moves include a multi-year U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agreement (2024) to demonstrate military-grade renewable biofuel from locally grown oilseed cover crops on Kaua'i, a multi-year agricultural expansion onto Gay & Robinson, Inc. land, and the first commercial-scale delivery in 2025 of sunflower-derived biodiesel to Hawaiian Electric's Schofield Generating Station. Capital allocation is funded organically plus federal/defense funding, with no public-equity, private-equity, or M&A activity disclosed.

Name

Pacific Biodiesel

Legal name

Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC

Website

https://biodiesel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pacific Biodiesel is Hawaii's only commercial producer of liquid biofuels, operating a vertically integrated model that converts used cooking oil and locally grown oilseed crops into 6 million gallons of distilled biodiesel annually for utilities, government fleets, and commercial customers statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodiesel and Renewable Fuel Production

NAICS

Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Oilseed (except Soybean) Farming (11112), Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiesel (FAME) Production (EUAAAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Other Oilseed Farming (Flaxseed/Linseed, Safflower, Sesame, Mustard, Camelina, etc.) (AFAGABAI)

Keywords

• Biodiesel production
• Renewable fuel manufacturing
• Used cooking oil recycling
• Grease trap services
• Regenerative oilseed farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Kahului

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Biodiesel Sales: Annual production of 6 million gallons of premium distilled biodiesel sold entirely in Hawai'i to commercial fleets, government entities, utilities, and marine operators. Revenue from fuel sales to end-use customers through direct accounts and distributors.
2. Used Cooking Oil Collection Services: Free used cooking oil collection service for restaurants and foodservice facilities. Service generates feedstock for biodiesel production while building customer relationships and supporting circular economy.
3. Culinary Oils (via Maiden Hawaii Naturals): Sister company Maiden Hawaii Naturals produces and sells premium culinary oils (sunflower oil, macadamia oil) to restaurants, food producers, and consumers. Residual meal sold as livestock feed.
4. Grease Trap and Drain Services: Grease trap pumping, monitoring, and cleaning services for restaurants. Drain cleaning services (hydro jetting, snaking) available on O'ahu. Emergency 24/7 pumping service. Fee-based services supporting restaurant compliance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pacific Biodiesel produces premium distilled biodiesel from used cooking oil and locally grown oilseed feedstocks at its Hawai'i Island refinery, generating 6 million gallons per year of ASTM D6751-grade renewable fuel sold exclusively in Hawai'i. The company also operates a free statewide used cooking oil and grease-trap collection service, owns off-grid biodiesel fueling stations, and through its sister company Maiden Hawaii Naturals produces premium culinary sunflower and macadamia oils from regenerative agriculture operations.

Product overview

Pacific Biodiesel operates as a vertically integrated renewable energy company producing distilled biodiesel as its core product. The company offers a portfolio of services including used cooking oil collection, grease trap pumping, and regenerative agriculture operations. A sister company, Maiden Hawaii Naturals LLC, produces culinary oils (Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown Sunflower Oil and Hawaiian Macadamia Oil) from agricultural operations, with used cooking oil from these operations recycled back into biodiesel production. Co-products include livestock feed meal and glycerin. The company distributes fuel through its own network of off-grid fueling stations accessible via a mobile app, as well as through distributor partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown Oils: Premium culinary oils including sunflower oil and macadamia oil produced by Maiden Hawaii Naturals, sold in dark-glass bottles with pour spout and bulk bag-in-box options for restaurants, food manufacturers, spas and cosmetic formulators
• Maiden Hawaii Naturals

Products and services

• Distilled Biodiesel (B100) Premium distilled biodiesel produced at the Hawai'i Island refinery at 6 million gallons per year from used cooking oil and locally grown oilseeds, meeting ASTM D6751 premium 1-B standards. Sold entirely in Hawai'i to commercial fleets, government entities, utilities, and marine operators as 100% renewable fuel.
• Used Cooking Oil Collection Service Free used cooking oil pick-up service for restaurants, resorts, hotels, food trucks, and other foodservice establishments on O'ahu, Maui County, and Hawai'i Island. Includes customizable containment solutions and routes collected feedstock back to the refinery for biodiesel production. Household UCO drop-off also accepted.
• Grease Trap Pumping and FOG Compliance Service Fee-based grease trap monitoring, regularly scheduled pumping, 24/7 emergency pumping, proper disposal of grease trap waste, and FOG percentage core sampling for restaurants to comply with local guidelines and avoid fines. Fully permitted and licensed by State and County governments.
• Drain Cleaning Service (O'ahu) Hydro jetting (3000 psi high-pressure washing), drain snaking, preventative maintenance, and 24/7 emergency service for commercial plumbing lines on O'ahu, helping prevent backups and dislodge clogs.
• Pacific Biodiesel Fueling Stations Network of company-owned, off-grid biodiesel fueling stations across Hawai'i (Kea'au, Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, Kaumakani, Kahului, Ma'alaea Small Boat Harbor, and Sand Island) offering 24/7 access via the free PrimeFMS mobile app, including a membership-only HFN station in Kea'au.
• Kuleana® Hawai'i Grown Sunflower Oil Premium culinary sunflower oil mechanically expeller-pressed from regeneratively farmed sunflowers grown on Maui and Kaua'i, with no additives or preservatives. Sold in dark-glass bottles with pour spout for retail and bulk bag-in-box options for restaurants, food manufacturers, spas, and cosmetic formulators.
• Hawaiian Macadamia Oil Premium culinary macadamia oil produced from locally sourced macadamia nuts using natural expeller-press extraction with no additives or preservatives, for restaurants, food producers, spas, and cosmetic formulators.
• Livestock Feed Meal High-protein residual meal produced as a co-product from the company's sunflower seed and corn crushing operations, sold as an ingredient for local livestock and poultry feed.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum diesel
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2024Multi-year agreement with USACE Engineer Research and Development Center's Construction Engineering Research Laboratory to demonstrate renewable biofuel from locally grown oilseed cover crops. Project supports U.S. Army Climate Strategy and validates transition to drop-in fuel for military application including power generation. 1,000+ acres being farmed on Kaua'i to prototype local food and fuel production.
• Gay & Robinson, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2024Land partnership for farming operations on 1,000 acres of Gay & Robinson, Inc. land in Kaumakani, Kaua'i. Pacific Biodiesel farming sunflowers and other oilseed cover crops in rotation with food crops as part of federal military biofuel project.
• Hawaiian ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime customer relationship since 2003. Hawaiian Electric purchases biodiesel for power generation. In 2025, received first commercial-scale delivery of sunflower-derived biodiesel from Pacific Biodiesel's Kaua'i operations. Partnership supports Hawai'i's renewable energy goals and energy security.
• Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIUC purchases biodiesel for power generation supporting their accelerated pathway to 100% renewable electricity by 2033. Partnership helps KIUC maintain long-duration energy storage when solar and wind are unavailable.
• U.S. Senator Mazie K. HironocoreOthersSenator Hirono supported federal funding for the military biofuel project. She championed the funding to bolster Hawai'i agriculture and decrease reliance on expensive imported oil while advancing clean energy goals.
• Maiden Hawaii Naturals, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company created by Pacific Biodiesel founders Bob and Kelly King in 2015. Produces Kuleana Hawai'i Grown culinary oils (sunflower oil, macadamia oil) from Pacific Biodiesel's agricultural operations. Residual meal sold as livestock feed. Creates vertical integration from farm to consumer products.
• Midwest Sales & Construction, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTom Smude's company provided fabrication and construction services for Kaua'i mill including assembly of three 32-foot tall silos (330,000 lb capacity each) and seed handling systems.
• Kōkua Hawaii FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 3Rs School Recycling Drives at DOE public schools on O'ahu. Pacific Biodiesel collects household UCO and donates $1/gallon to participating schools. Promotes recycling education and community engagement.
• Mālama Maui NuiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for household used cooking oil collection on Maui starting November 2025. Pacific Biodiesel donates $1/gallon to Mālama Maui Nui for each gallon collected at their Kahului location.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/pacbio/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/pacbiodiesel
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacificbiodiesel

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Biodiesel