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How to Sell UCO

What buyers actually check, how price is set, and the documents that decide whether your cargo ships.

01

Who we buy from

We buy from licensed collectors, pretreatment plants and exporters who can demonstrate volume, consistency and traceability. Size is useful; repeatability is essential.

Typical counterparties: restaurant collection companies with 20+ tonnes per month, regional aggregators with storage and filtration, and exporters with an established ISCC chain. If you are earlier-stage, we can still start with a trial parcel and a documented improvement plan.

02

What we need from you

Commercial

  • Origin and collection region
  • Monthly volume and seasonality
  • Storage capacity and loading capability
  • Preferred Incoterm and payment terms

Technical

  • FFA, moisture, MIU, iodine value
  • Pretreatment steps (filtered, dewatered, heated)
  • Typical colour and odour
  • Packaging: flexitank, ISO tank, IBC

Send a representative sample and a recent lab report. A quotation based on a description is always wider than one based on a sample.

03

How price is set

UCO is priced against substitute feedstocks and against the cost of the oil it replaces, adjusted for quality and documentation.

Quality differentials

FFA above the agreed band, moisture, insoluble impurities, phosphorus and metals all reduce the value. A cargo at FFA 8% is not “almost” a cargo at 5%; it may need different pretreatment or a different buyer.

Logistics

Distance to port, tank availability, loading rate and demurrage risk are priced in. A seller who can load a full ISO tank within the laycan is worth more than a cheaper seller who cannot.

Certification

ISCC-compliant UCO trades at a premium in markets where the sustainability declaration is required. The premium is not automatic: the chain must be auditable, and the documentation must match the physical parcel.

Payment and risk

Letters of credit, cash against documents and advance payment carry different risk and therefore different prices. Be explicit about what you will accept before negotiating the number.

04

Documents that decide the cargo

Export document checklist
DocumentWhy it matters
Commercial invoice & packing listCustoms and payment
Bill of ladingTitle and delivery
Certificate of originTariff and import clearance
ISCC sustainability declarationAccess to certified offtake
Third-party inspection (e.g. load-port survey)Quantity and quality evidence
Certificate of analysisContract specification compliance

Requirements vary by destination. Confirm the import regime before the cargo is booked, not after it sails.

05

Five mistakes that cost sellers money

1. Sampling the wrong layer

A sample from the top of a heated tank is not representative. Sample after circulation, at multiple heights, and seal the sample with a counter-signature.

2. Mixing certified and uncertified oil

One unrecorded transfer can break the chain of custody for the whole parcel. Keep certified volumes physically or administratively segregated and log every movement.

3. Quoting before checking the port

Storage, berth and tank availability set the real delivery date. A price with an impossible laycan is not a price.

4. Ignoring phosphorus and metals

HVO and SAF producers care about more than FFA. If your oil is destined for HEFA, test the full pretreatment-relevant suite.

5. Undocumented deductions

Agree the analysis method, the sampling protocol and the deduction formula in the contract. Disputes after discharge are expensive for both sides.

06

Questions sellers ask

What is the minimum volume?

One flexitank or one ISO tank for a first trial; repeat business can scale to full container or coaster parcels.

How fast can you pay?

Terms depend on the structure: CAD, LC or advance against documents. We confirm the mechanism before the cargo is fixed.

Do you buy non-ISCC UCO?

Yes, for buyers who do not require certification. The price will reflect the destination market and the missing premium.

Send your volume, origin and a recent analysis. We will tell you which buyers can take it and what documentation is missing.