Renewable diesel is a diesel blendstock made from vegetable or waste oils through a process employing hydrotreating or hydrocracking.

It has better blending properties that more conventional biodiesel that is made from a transesterification process (FAME).  Specifically:

Not susceptible to microbial contamination

No oxygen content

 Good cold properties

These quality benefits allow renewable diesel to be blended directly into the finished diesel pool, at any point in the supply chain, at any level.  Biodiesel is generally limited to very small volumes because of its lower quality.

Most renewable diesel production employs traditional refining processes for hydrotreating  and hydrocracking, using exiting capacity in traditional refineries and dedicated capacity in stand alone renewable diesel plants.

The demand for renewable diesel is largely driven by mandates for renewable fuels and low carbon fuels.