Insect oils as sustainable feedstock for natural alcohols

Abstract

Current natural sources of mid-cut alcohol (MCA), a key ingredient in cleaning formulations, present several challenges. One solution is to use insect oils instead of palm kernel oil (PKO) or coconut oil (CNO). In particular, black soldier fly (BSF) larvae oil is a promising raw material that provides a sustainable, natural feedstock for MCA. The estimation of its PCF leads to strongly negative values, driven by a very low land use change. The fact that low-value by-products are upgraded by BSF larvae is an additional advantage and avoids any competition with food crops. This study shows that BSF larvae oil can be a drop-in replacement for PKO and CNO, leading to more sustainable ingredients for cleaning formulations. The technical proof of principle for the production of fatty alcohols has been demonstrated and up-scaling to large commercial volumes should be straightforward. A potential barrier to consumer acceptance is expected to be lowered in the future. In certain regions or applications, successful market entry may already be possible today.