How many gallons of lipids, like omega 3 and PUFA are being produced in the US from algae and genetically modified soybeans and canola?
**US production of specialized lipids rich in omega-3s (EPA/DHA) and other PUFAs from algae and genetically modified (or gene-edited) soybeans/canola remains relatively modest compared with conventional vegetable oils or fish oil, and exact public gallon figures for the specialized fractions are limited.**
### Algae-Derived Omega-3 Oils (EPA/DHA)
– Global production of algal EPA/DHA-rich oils was estimated at around 20,000 metric tons in 2025. (LINK)
– The US is a major production hub, with facilities using heterotrophic fermentation (e.g., *Schizochytrium*). Key producers include Veramaris (DSM-Evonik joint venture in Blair, Nebraska), DSM, Corbion, and Qualitas Health (iwi), among others.
– Veramaris’s commercial-scale plant (opened 2019, ~$200 million investment) reached full operational capacity in 2024 after ramping up significantly (e.g., +61% volume growth reported in one recent year). Its capacity is described as equivalent to the EPA+DHA content from about 1.2 million metric tons of wild-caught fish, or roughly 15% of global salmon aquaculture demand for those fatty acids. The oil is highly concentrated (~65% EPA+DHA). (LINK)
– US domestic algal oil production currently supplies an estimated 30–40% of US demand for these ingredients (with the rest imported). Absolute US volumes of finished algal omega-3 oil are in the low-to-mid thousands of metric tons range annually (precise company figures are not fully public).
– Conversion: 1 metric ton of oil ≈ 290–310 US gallons (depending on density, typically ~0.92 g/mL). This implies US algal omega-3 oil output is likely on the order of **hundreds of thousands to low millions of gallons** per year, concentrated in high-value nutritional, infant formula, pet, and aquaculture applications rather than bulk commodity oils.
Algae production focused on high-value omega-3 extracts (not bulk biofuel lipids) operates at far smaller scale than theoretical national biomass potential studies (which project hundreds of millions of tons of algae biomass under future scenarios).
### Genetically Modified / Gene-Edited Soybeans
– Conventional US soybean oil production is large: ~29.5 billion pounds of crude oil in 2025 (from ~75 million tons of soybeans crushed). At roughly 7.7 lb per gallon, this is on the order of **~3.8 billion gallons** of total soybean oil. Commodity soybean oil is naturally high in PUFAs (primarily linoleic acid, an omega-6, ~50%+), with smaller amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3). (LINK)
– Specialized high-oleic soybeans (GM or gene-edited varieties such as Plenish, Vistive Gold, or SOYLEIC) lower PUFAs in favor of monounsaturated oleic acid for stability. Planted area reached roughly 1–1.4 million acres in 2025 (out of ~80+ million total soybean acres), with projections for further growth (potentially several million acres by 2030). These produce oil that is *lower* in PUFAs, not higher in long-chain omega-3s. (LINK)
– True long-chain omega-3 (EPA/DHA) soybeans remain largely developmental/R&D and are not yet producing commercially significant volumes in the US.
### Genetically Modified Canola (Omega-3 / DHA Canola)
– Conventional US canola oil production is smaller: ~1.77 billion pounds of crude oil in 2025 (from ~2.2 million tons of seed crushed), or roughly **~230 million gallons**. (LINK)
– Nuseed’s GM omega-3 canola (engineered to produce DHA and related long-chain omega-3s in the seed oil) is commercially approved and grown under contract/stewardship programs, primarily in northern states such as Montana and North Dakota. It yields oil with meaningful DHA levels (and some EPA/DPA/ALA). One to two acres can produce DHA equivalent to thousands of pounds of fish.
– Acreage and oil volumes remain limited (contracted and identity-preserved rather than commodity-scale). Exact annual US production figures for the specialized omega-3 fraction are not widely published and are still emerging/small relative to total canola oil. It is directed toward aquafeed (Aquaterra) and human nutrition (Nutriterra) markets.
### Summary Scale Comparison
| Source | Approximate US Scale of Relevant Lipids | Notes |
|————————-|———————————————————-|——-|
| Algal EPA/DHA oils | Hundreds of thousands to low millions of gallons | Dedicated high-concentration omega-3 oils; growing but still niche vs. fish oil |
| High-oleic soybeans | Portion of total soybean oil (~billions of gallons overall) | High MUFA, *reduced* PUFA |
| Commodity soybean oil | ~3.8 billion gallons (2025 crude) | High omega-6 PUFA (linoleic); limited long-chain omega-3 |
| Omega-3 (DHA) canola | Small / emerging (subset of ~230 million gallons total canola oil) | Land-based long-chain omega-3 source |
| Conventional canola oil| ~230 million gallons | Moderate PUFA (includes some ALA) |
Specialized long-chain omega-3 production from algae is the most established dedicated source among these, while GM/edited oilseeds contribute mainly through high-oleic (stability-focused) oils or early-stage DHA canola. Volumes of true EPA/DHA-rich lipids from the oilseed crops remain far smaller than from algae or marine sources. Production continues to expand due to sustainability demand (aquaculture feed, supplements, reducing pressure on fish stocks), but public data on exact gallons of the specialized fractions is incomplete because many operations are proprietary.