Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (3)

FORM 3	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0104 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Samuels Todd	2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 5/10/2018	3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Renewable Energy Group, Inc. [REGI]
(Last)        (First)        (Middle) 416 S. BELL AVENUE	4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director                            _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below)          ___ X ___ Other (specify below) / Chief Accounting Officer
(Street) AMES, IA 50010        (City)              (State)              (Zip)	5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YYYY)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) _ X _ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Common Stock	5703	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Performance Rights	(1)	12/31/2023	Common Stock	1175.0	$0.0	D

Explanation of Responses:

(1)

Each performance right represents a contingent right to receive one share of REGI common stock, subject to continued employment and other conditions. Half of the Performance Based RSUs will vest upon REGI's common stock price equal to or exceeding a stock price hurdle during the applicable performance period, based on the volume-weighted average stock price during any 20 consecutive trading days. The other 50% of the Performance Based RSUs will vest upon REGI achieving a return on invested capital hurdle during the applicable performance periods, as measured on a simple average basis.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Samuels Todd 416 S. BELL AVENUE AMES, IA 50010				Chief Accounting Officer

Signatures
Natalie Merrill, Attorney-in-Fact		5/23/2018
** Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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