This study was reported on a novel process for fatty acid ethyl esters preparation by transesterification and esterification from renewable low-cost feedstock camellia oil soapstocks and friendly acyl acceptor diethyl carbonate. The main components of product were 83.9% ethyl oleate, 8.9% ethyl palmitate, 4.7% ethyl linoleate and 2.1% ethyl stearate, which could be used as eco-friendly renewable resources or additives of industrial solvent and fossil fuel. The effects of molar ratio of diethyl carbonate to soapstocks oil, lipases, organic solvent, reaction temperature and time were investigated, and process conditions were optimized. The yield was up to 98.4% in solvent-free system with molar ratio of diethyl carbonate to soapstocks oil 3:1 and 5% Novozym 435 (based on the weight of soapstocks oil) at 50 degrees C and 180 rpm for 24 h. Moreover, there was no obvious loss in the yield after lipases were reused for 10 batches without treatment under optimized conditions. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.