Case Study

Diversification for oleochemicals manufacturing

Exploring new oleochemical-based products to capture adjacent markets over the next 3 years

CamIn works with early adopters to identify new opportunities enabled by emerging technology.

Revenue:

$1 billion+

Employee headcount:

1,000+

Opportunity:

Sustainable manufacturing

Service:

White space & diversification strategy

Sponsored:

Chief executive officer

of CamIn’s project team comprised of leading industry and technology experts

CamIn’s expert team

Our client wanted to select new oleochemical-based products to capture adjacent markets over the next 3 years. CamIn went through its proprietary process to identify 10 new competitive products from 200 applied molecular families and 20 application areas.

Table of Contents

Our client's problem
CamIn's solution
Example outputs
Key insights

Industry:

Oleochemicals

Revenue:

$1 billion+

Employee headcount:

1,000+

Opportunity:

Sustainable manufacturing

Service:

White space & diversification strategy

Sponsored by:

Chief executive officer

50,000

For $50,000, we de-risked their $10 million investment into new growth opportunities

expert teams

3 external expert teams specialised in production and utilisation of oleochemicals.

x faster

CamIn completed the work in 4 weeks, 5 times faster than the client’s internal team would have.

Discover more opportunities in

Sustainable manufacturing

Client's problem

Over the past 5 years, the client had faced poor financial performance due to external factors such as product commoditisation, increased regulation, price fluctuations, and low-cost alternative feedstocks. In addition, the client had made poor capacity investments specifically for their expansion into new markets. After the client had stabilised their financials, they decided to actively pursue new inorganic growth opportunities. The client did not have confidence in identifying the opportunities themselves and therefore required an independent study from and consulting partner.

CamIn's solution

Key questions answered

What are the client’s core strengths, weaknesses, and competitive advantages?
Which products, industries, and regions show the best growth and profitability?
How is the oleochemical sector segmented, and where does the client compete?
What key PESTLE factors impact the client’s markets and opportunities?
Which strategic options best align with the client’s capabilities and demand?

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Our Approach

13	Interviews conducted with senior leadership to gained insights into the client’s capabilities, weaknesses, future aspirations, and associated risks.
20	Assessed 20 key application areas for specialty oleochemical products based upon the client’s capabilities and CamIn’s intelligence on market trends and pressures.
200	For ~200 molecular families, assessed the most promising products based on client capabilities, ease of acquiring new capabilities, and demand for premium over commodity-like products.
10	Confirmed a shortlist of 10 highest-priority strategic options for the client, covering application areas, associated molecular products, and the key geographic markets to address.

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Results and Impact

CamIn shortlisted 10 strategic product options, developing product roadmaps that confirmed chemistries and processes the client needs.

The client is exploring each option in detail, piloting new products with a view to scaling up production.

By determining the most suitable strategic product options, CamIn derisked the client’s $10 million investment into new product opportunities.

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Example Outputs

What are oleochemicals?

Oleochemicals are chemical compounds derived from natural fats and oils, typically sourced from animal fats like tallow, or plant-based materials like palm, coconut, or soy. They are used in a wide range of applications, from personal care products and lubricants to detergents, polymers, and coatings. As bio-based alternatives to petrochemicals, oleochemicals are central to sustainable manufacturing and circular economy strategies.

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Why is diversification important for oleochemicals manufacturers?

Diversification enables oleochemicals manufacturers to move beyond commoditised markets and stabilise revenue streams in the face of feedstock volatility, tightening regulations, and global price pressures. By identifying adjacent high-margin products and applications, particularly those that reward bio-based sourcing and green chemistry, firms can better leverage core process capabilities like hydrogenation, esterification, ozonolysis and dimerisation to unlock new growth.

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What opportunities are emerging in sustainable oleochemicals?

New growth is emerging in sectors that prioritise biodegradability, traceability, and renewable content, such as bioplastics, sustainable lubricants, low-toxicity surfactants, and cosmetic actives. The push toward decarbonisation across industries, combined with consumer and regulatory pressure for greener supply chains, is opening premium markets for high-performance, sustainable oleochemical derivatives.

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What technologies are emerging for sustainable oleochemicals manufacturing?

A suite of advanced technologies is reshaping oleochemicals manufacturing, enabling producers to reduce emissions, improve process efficiency, and develop high-value bio-based products. These technologies fall into four main categories: process innovation, catalytic and biochemical conversion, digital transformation, and feedstock valorisation.

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Process innovation and green chemistry

Continuous flow processing: Replacing traditional batch reactors with continuous flow systems improves energy efficiency, reduces solvent use, and enables tighter control over reaction conditions, particularly valuable for hydrogenation, dimerisation, and esterification reactions.
Reactive distillation and membrane separations: These integrated unit operations cut down on downstream processing energy and improve yield in bioderived product lines.
Supercritical and microwave-assisted synthesis: Emerging green process routes allow for reduced chemical inputs and shorter reaction times, supporting scalable, low-impact manufacturing.

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Catalytic and biochemical conversion

Heterogeneous catalysis for selective hydrogenation: Novel catalysts enable greater control over reaction specificity, enhancing product quality and reducing the need for energy-intensive purification steps.
Enzymatic esterification and biocatalysis: Enzyme-driven processes offer milder reaction conditions and higher selectivity for producing specialty esters, lubricants, and surfactants. These processes are particularly promising for cosmetic and nutraceutical markets.
Microbial biosynthesis: Synthetic biology platforms are being developed to produce high-value oleochemicals such as long-chain dicarboxylic acids and biosurfactants directly from renewable feedstocks.

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Digitisation and smart manufacturing

Digital twins and predictive process control: Real-time simulation and optimisation of oleochemical processes using AI and machine learning improve product consistency, reduce energy consumption, and support traceability.
Inline spectroscopy and smart sensors: Advanced quality monitoring tools integrated into esterification and hydrogenation lines enable faster product validation, minimising rework and waste.

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Feedstock innovation and circularity

Valorisation of waste lipids and non-food oils: Technologies to process second-generation feedstocks like used cooking oil, tallow, or algae oil are becoming more mature, expanding the sustainable feedstock base.
Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) in synthesis: Emerging processes integrate captured CO₂ into oleochemical production chains, particularly in the synthesis of carbonate esters or enhanced fatty acid derivatives.

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