Crude Rapeseed Oil

About This Product

Crude rapeseed oil is pressed and extracted from rapeseed, including the low-erucic, low-glucosinolate varieties traded as canola. Seed is typically conditioned and expeller-pressed, and the press cake is then solvent-extracted to recover the remaining oil; smaller plants may press only. Rapeseed holds around 40 % oil or more, far more than soybean, so oil is a principal product of the crush rather than a minor co-product. Rapeseed oil has long been the benchmark biodiesel feedstock in Europe. Its fatty acid profile is dominated by oleic acid, with moderate linoleic and linolenic acid and a low share of saturates, which gives rapeseed methyl ester (RME) a favourable cold filter plugging point and an iodine value typically around 105–120 g I2/100 g, within the EN 14214 limit. For biodiesel, the crude oil is degummed, dried and often neutralised before alkaline transesterification. For HVO and HEFA-SPK (SAF), the C18-rich profile converts well, provided phosphorus, metals and chlorophyll-related compounds are reduced in pretreatment. Buyers typically specify FFA (often up to about 1–2 % as oleic acid in crude grades), moisture and impurities, phosphorus, iodine value, sulphur and erucic acid content. Sulphur is worth measuring: glucosinolate breakdown products give crude rapeseed oil more sulphur than most vegetable oils, which matters because finished biodiesel is limited to 10 mg/kg. Phosphorus varies with the pressing and extraction route and falls sharply after degumming. Chlorophyll gives crude rapeseed oil its green tint and is removed by bleaching. Rapeseed oil is a food and feed crop oil and is not listed in Annex IX. Under RED III, fuels made from it count towards transport targets only within each Member State's crop cap, and ReFuelEU Aviation excludes crop-based biofuels from its SAF obligation. Its value therefore depends on how the destination market applies the cap and on the greenhouse-gas performance documented for the lot. Buyers should confirm the treatment and the certificate scope with their certification body, and check that the sustainability declarations match their mass-balance records. Crude rapeseed oil is liquid at ambient temperature and moves in road tankers, ISO tanks, flexitanks and bulk vessels. It rarely needs heating, but it should be kept dry and protected from prolonged air exposure, because its linolenic acid makes it prone to oxidation. Clean previous cargoes protect its suitability for other uses. In an enquiry, give your FFA, moisture and impurities, phosphorus, sulphur and iodine value limits, say whether pressed, extracted or degummed oil is acceptable, and state the conversion route, volume, packaging, delivery terms and documentation needs.