Local clay was prepared, characterized and used as catalyst for the synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters from waste cooking palm oil. Calcined raw clay at various temperatures was investigated and showed good activity for transesterification reaction when samples were treated at 830 degrees C for 4 h. The effects of parameters affecting the catalytic reaction, methanol to oil ratio, catalyst loading and reaction temperature in the range of 150-170 degrees C were investigated at fixed reaction time of 5 h. The obtained data showed that at methanol/oil ratio of 15:1, catalyst loading of 3.5 wt% and reaction temperature of 150 degrees C, the FAME content from the process was 96%. The catalyst is easily prepared and handled, avoiding the use of expensive rare earth metals in biodiesel production, easily separated from the reaction medium and could be reused up to three cycles. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.