TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The step 2) conducted in the presence of a copper catalyst supported on Al2O3 , SiO2, sepiolite or TiO2 (preferably Al2O3 , sepiolite or TiO2, especially Al2O3); under a hydrogen pressure of 2 - 8 (preferably around 6) atmosphere; at a temperature of 150 - 200 (preferably at around 180)degreesC. The reaction is carried out for 30 minutes - 4 hours (preferably 1 - 3 hours). The catalyst of step 2) is recycled upon completion of the reaction. The step 1) is conducted in the presence of a homogeneous or heterogeneous catalyst. The alkyl alcohol is used in excess. The step 1) is takes place at the boiling temperature of alkyl alcohol. When heterogenous catalyst is used in step 1, then it is carried out at approximately 150degreesC, thus increasing the pressure appropriately. The heterogeneous catalyst is recycled upon completion of the reaction. In step 1), the excess alkyl alcohol is recycled upon completion of the reaction. When the fatty substances are vegetable or animal oils, the step 1) is a triglyceride transesterification reaction. When tall oil is used as the starting product between step) 1 and step 2), then a separation step al) of the fatty acid alkyl esters obtained in step 1) from the non-esterified resin acids. The separation occurs by using distillation under vacuum in suitable discontinuous distillation apparatus or in continuous stills. The continuous stills are thin film stills. The distillation temperature is 140 - 220 (preferably 180 - 200)degreesC. The distillation is conducted at a residual pressure of 1 - 10 (preferably 1 - 5) mbar; is performed after having heated the starting product to a temperature of approximately 100degreesC under vacuum, for the amount of time required for its complete degassing and anhydration. Preferred Components: The fatty substances has a iodine number greater than 140 (preferably greater than 150) gI2/l00g. The SiO2 is mesoporous silica having a specific surface area of 200 - 650 (preferably 300 - 600) m2/g. The silica has a pore volume (PV) of 0 - 2 (preferably 0.8 - 1.2) ml/g. The alumina has a specific surface area of 100 - 500 (preferably 200 - 350) m2/g ; pore volume (PV) of 0.5 - 2 (preferably 1 - 2) ml/g. The sepiolite has a surface area of approximately 240 m2/g; a pore volume of approximately 0.4 ml/g. 12. The TiO2 has a surface area of approximately 25 m2/g. The homogeneous catalyst is an acid compound (preferably concentrated sulfuric acid, p-toluenesulphonic acid monohydrate, gaseous hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid or methanesulphonic acid). The heterogeneous catalyst is a metal oxide selected from Zn oxide, Sn oxide or Ca oxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The alkyl alcohol has 1-10C (preferably 1-5C). The alkyl alcohol is methyl alcohol. The fatty substances are selected from tall oil, vegetable or animal oils. The vegetable oils are selected from linseed oil, burdock oil, hemp oil, walnut oil, poppy oil, perilla seed oil, camelina seed oil and/or tung oil. The animal oils are fish oils selected from shad oil, cod liver oil, herring oil, salmon oil and/or sardine oil. The tall oil has a resin acid content of 1 - 15 (preferably 2 - 7) m.%/m.%. EXAMPLE - Prior to the reaction, precursor A (SP550-10018 (RTM: silica gel support) having a specific surface area of 600 m2/g, PV= 0.99 ml/g had been activated by air drying at 270degreesC for 20 minutes. The reactor had been subsequently closed and evacuated at the same T (temperature) for a further 20 minutes, then H2 (1 atm) had been introduced, and still at 270degreesC, all the water formed had been removed under vacuum to obtain catalyst A. Tall oil fatty acids (100 pbw) were reacted with methyl alcohol (100 pbw), in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid (0.5 g) or para-toluenesulphonic acid monohydrate (1 g). The reaction was carried out in a reactor fitted with a stirrer, a temperature monitoring and control device, reflux condenser and access way for withdrawing samples. The reaction was normally carried out at the mixture's boiling point, which initially coincides with that of pure methyl alcohol (64degreesC), then being increased in parallel with the degree of progress of the reaction, due to the water formation. The temperature increased was more sensitive the more the stoichiometric excess used was reduced. The progress of the reaction was followed by using periodic sampling and the determination of the residual acidity. Upon completion of the reaction, the residual acidity is neutralized through the addition of an aqueous solution of NaOH, and the excess methyl alcohol used, which was evaporated along with the water produced during the esterification reaction, recovered. The hydroalcoholic mixture was then sent to be separated by distillation, for the purification of the methyl alcohol to be recycled in the system, and the isolation and elimination of the reaction water. Prior to performing the distillation step under vacuum, the mixture of methyl esters was subjected to filtration in order to eliminate any insoluble sodium sulfate (sodium para-toluenesulphonate) deriving from the neutralization of the catalyst. Into the reactor, in which catalyst A (1.2 g) had just been prepared, have been loaded tall oil methyl esters (60 ml) having the composition having carbon 18:2 of 42.6. The remaining was palmitic, palmitoleic and erucic acids, which remain unaltered during the hydrogenation. The reactor had been pressurized with H2 (6 atm) the temperature adjusted to 180degreesC and the reaction mass subjected to stirring. Samples were withdrawn at 20 minutes intervals, and analysed. When the analysis seems to satisfy the requirements (80 minutes) the reactor was cooled and the mixture analysed to give the iodine number of 145 gI2/100 g, the flow point, the conradson carbon residue (0.01 %) and the Cu content (not detectable).