What UCO TRADING SPAIN SL does

UCO Trading Spain SL is a privately held Spanish commodity trading company, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oviedo, Asturias, that specializes in the international purchase, treatment, and logistics of used cooking oil (UCO) and related fatty waste materials for the biofuel industry. Its portfolio spans seven raw material categories: used cooking oil (UCO), animal fats (categories 1-3), acid oils (SAO), glycerin, palm oil mill effluent (POME), food waste, and grease trap waste (FOG). The company's end customers are enterprise biofuel producers — primarily HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), and biodiesel manufacturers — along with biogas plants and oleochemical companies, while its supplier base includes HORECA operators (restaurants, hotels, catering) and food processors across more than 30 countries.

The company's core technology is a 360° Traceability Protocol that covers the full supply chain from waste generation to final biofuel destination, including supplier vetting, segregation/control, and document digitization. This is paired with a regulatory compliance stack built on ISCC EU, ISCC CORSIA, and EPA certifications, enabling documentary traceability for EU RED III compliance, ICAO aviation fuel eligibility, and US Renewable Fuel Standard RINS credit generation. Operations are coordinated through offices in Oviedo (HQ), Madrid, Boca Ratón/Miami (opened 2022), and Dubai (opened 2025-2026). The business model is sales-led B2B commodity trading: revenue is generated through transaction margins on international trades, with a minimum order volume of 25 tonnes per shipment (isotank or flexibag), quote-based pricing, and direct enterprise sales rather than channel intermediaries.

Name

UCO TRADING SPAIN SL

Legal name

UCO TRADING SPAIN, S.L.

Website

https://ucotrading.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UCO Trading Spain SL is a Spanish B2B commodity trader, founded in 2013, that supplies used cooking oil and related fatty waste materials (animal fats, acid oils, glycerin, POME, food waste, FOG) to biofuel producers across 30+ countries, leveraging ISCC and EPA-certified supply chain traceability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biofuel Feedstock Trading

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Edible Oils & Fats Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)

Keywords

• Used cooking oil trading
• Biofuel feedstock supply
• Sustainable aviation fuel
• Waste valorization services
• ISCC certified commodities

Headquarters

HQ city

Oviedo

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. UCO Trading and Brokering: Purchase and sale of used vegetable oil (UCO) and related waste materials (animal fats, acid oils, glycerin, POME, food waste, grease traps) to biofuel producers. Revenue generated through trading margins on international commodity transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UCO Trading Spain SL is a B2B commodity trading and brokerage company that purchases, treats, and supplies used cooking oil (UCO) and related lipid waste materials (animal fats, acid oils, glycerin, POME, food waste, grease trap waste) to biofuel producers worldwide. The company coordinates the full supply chain from waste generators in the HORECA sector to biodiesel, HVO, and SAF manufacturers, with international logistics and sustainability certification (ISCC EU, ISCC CORSIA, EPA).

Product overview

UCO Trading operates as a trading and brokerage company for sustainable raw materials used in biofuel production. The company's product portfolio consists of seven distinct raw material products: Used Cooking Oil (UCO), Animal Fats (Categories 1-3), Acid Oils, Glycerin, POME (Palm Oil Mill Effluent), Food Waste, and Grease Trap Waste (FOG). These products are recovered from various industrial and commercial sources and supplied to the biofuel industry for conversion into renewable energy sources such as HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), biodiesel, and biogas. The company does not offer a software platform or digital product; rather, it provides physical commodity trading services with focus on sustainability, traceability, and regulatory compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Cooking Oil (UCO) Vegetable-based lipid waste derived from cooking activities in the hospitality sector, food industry, and domestic sphere. After filtration and decanting to remove impurities and moisture, UCO becomes the main raw material for production of second-generation biofuels such as HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) and SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). Sold to biofuel producers in minimum 25-tonne shipments.
• Animal Fats (Categories 1, 2 and 3) SANDACH-derived by-products from animal tissue processing, classified into three categories by origin and health risk. Categories 1 and 2 are intended exclusively for energy recovery and production of advanced biofuels such as HVO and SAF.
• Acid Oils (SAO) Oil-based by-products generated during chemical refining of crude vegetable oils, specifically from the neutralisation process of soap stocks. Characterised by high free fatty acid (FFA) content, used in the technical chemical industry and production of low-cost biofuels such as Sustainable Marine Fuels (SMF).
• Glycerin (Glycerol) Main by-product of biodiesel production, presented as a viscous liquid with high glycerol content. Used as carbon source in biogas plants to enhance anaerobic digestion efficiency and in the manufacture of basic chemicals.
• POME (Palm Oil Mill Effluent) Organic liquid waste produced during palm oil extraction at mills. Once processed and oil content recovered, becomes a high-value feedstock for production of advanced biofuels.
• Food Waste Waste from food processing industry, commercial surpluses, or municipal organic waste, subjected to recovery processes for conversion into renewable energy. High organic matter content makes it ideal substrate for anaerobic digestion and production of biofuels, biogas, or biomethane.
• Grease Trap Waste (FOG) Waste from grease traps consisting of mixtures of lipids, water, and solids from wastewater interception systems of industrial kitchens and processing plants. Once treated and purified, recovered oils are used as highly efficient feedstock for production of advanced biofuels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cumulative turnover exceeding €60 million
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIVE-EcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Integration of FIVE-E company in 2025 as part of strategic expansion and service capability enhancement.
• Fundación AladinaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019ESG department collaboration with Fundación Aladina starting in 2019, supporting corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Darling Ingredients: Global rendering and specialty ingredients company (Diamond Green Diesel JV with Valero). Operates a much larger rendering collection network with ISCC certifications, supplying tallow/UCO to renewable diesel producers — overlapping directly with UCO Trading's HVO/SAF customer base.
• Neste: World's largest producer of renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from waste and residue feedstocks. A major off-taker of UCO and animal fats — not a direct competitor but a key customer category that shapes UCO Trading's addressable demand.
• Cargill: Global agricultural commodity trader with an industrial oils/fats platform and growing biofuel feedstock activities. Operates at much larger scale but overlaps in the trade of oils/fats into biofuel and oleochemical markets.

Direct peers

• SARIA International: One of Europe's largest renderers and collectors of animal by-products and used cooking oil. Operates across similar feedstock categories (UCO, animal fats, acid oils) and supplies the same biofuel/oleochemical end markets, making it the closest large-scale direct competitor to UCO Trading.
• Argent Energy: European supplier of waste-based biodiesel and renewable diesel feedstocks, active in UCO and tallow collection. Comparable business model spanning feedstock collection/trading and renewable fuel production, with similar sustainability certification requirements.
• Baker Commodities: US-based renderer and trader of animal fats, used cooking oil and yellow grease. Operates a similar collection-to-biofuel-feedstock business model in North America, directly comparable to UCO Trading's US activities.
• MBP Solutions: UK-based waste oil and fats trader with similar trading-and-brokering model for UCO, animal fats and acid oils. Directly comparable in size and business model to UCO Trading, primarily active in European and international markets.
• Olleco: UK-focused UCO collection and recycling business that supplies biofuels producers. Competes in the same used cooking oil value chain and serves overlapping HVO/biodiesel customers.

Others

• TotalEnergies Corbion (LanzaTech JV): Large integrated energy company investing in advanced biofuel feedstock supply chains including waste-based and SAF pathways. Relevant as a strategic buyer/customer of UCO/animal fat streams rather than a direct trader competitor.

Emerging players

• Greenergy: UK-based supplier of biofuels with growing focus on waste-based and advanced biofuel feedstocks. Partial overlap with UCO Trading's customer set and an emerging competitor in the European biofuel feedstock market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lrpoch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uco-trading-spain-sl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 UCO TRADING SPAIN SL