Biofuels: ‘Irrational’ and ‘even Worse than Nonrenewable Fuel Source’

Biofuels: ‘Irrational’ and ‘even worse than nonrenewable fuel sources’

The UK’s « illogical » use of biofuels will cost motorists around ₤ 460 million over the next 12 months, a think tank states.

A report by Chatham House, external states the growing reliance on sustainable liquid fuels will also increase food prices.

The author states that biodiesel made from grease was worse for the climate than fossil fuels.

Under EU law, external, biofuels are set to comprise 5% of the UK’s transportation fuel from today.

Since 2008, the UK has actually required fuel suppliers to include a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the gas and diesel they provide. These biofuels are mainly ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, used cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research carried out for Chatham House states that reaching the 5% level implies that UK drivers will need to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year because of the higher expense of fuel at the pump and from filling regularly as biofuels have a lower energy content.

The report state that if the UK is to meet its responsibilities to EU energy targets the cost to vehicle drivers is likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per year by 2020.

« It is difficult to discover any good news, » Rob Bailey, senior research study fellow at Chatham House, informed BBC News.

« Biofuels increase expenses and they are an extremely expensive method to minimize carbon emissions, » he said.

The EU biofuel mandates are also having hugely distorting effects in the market. Because used cooking oil is concerned as among the most of biodiesel, the price for it has risen quickly. Rob Bailey states that towards completion of 2012 it was more costly than refined palm oil.

« It produces a monetary reward to purchase refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and then sell it at profit, »

« It is insane however the rewards are there. »

There are likewise worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is creating more environment issues than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into automobiles the bigger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

« Once you consider these indirect effects, biofuels made from vegetable oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would obtain from using diesel in the very first location, » said Rob Bailey.

« Plus you are asking drivers to pay more for the fuel – it makes no sense, it is a totally irrational strategy. »

Biofuel advantages

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the market, external throughout the EU, said it understood the problems triggered by the required. But it thinks that biofuels have lots of positives.

« Blaming biofuels for all the difficulties worldwide is a bit too exaggerated, » said Isabelle Maurizi, job manager at the EBB.

« It has brought lots of advantages. It has actually improved the security of our diesel; it has actually decreased EU reliance on animal feed imports, thanks to the rapeseed we grow for biodiesel. »

« If there was no biodiesel farmers would simply make their land idle – no food, no feed! »

As the UK hits the 5% of liquid fuels mark, the federal government faces some hard choices on how to move on on this issue as it faces tripling the costs for motorists by 2020.

Insiders recommend its choice would be to try and get agreement in Brussels on the impacts of indirect costs which may constrain what counts as biofuel. However getting contract from countries with effective agricultural sectors who gain from the existing plan will be tough.

« When you have a lobby which consists of the agricultural sector and the oil sector it is very hard for Governments to make a U-turn, » said Rob Bailey.

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