Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'worse than nonrenewable fuel sources'

The UK's "irrational" usage of biofuels will cost drivers around ₤ 460 million over the next 12 months, a think tank says.

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

The author states that biodiesel made from vegetable oil was even worse for the environment than nonrenewable fuel sources.

Under EU law, external, biofuels are set to make up 5% of the UK's transport fuel from today.

Since 2008, the UK has actually required fuel providers to add a growing proportion of sustainable products into the petrol and diesel they supply. These biofuels are primarily ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research performed for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level means that UK drivers will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that of the greater cost of fuel at the pump and from filling more typically as biofuels have a lower energy content.

The report state that if the UK is to satisfy its responsibilities to EU energy targets the cost to motorists is likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.

"It is difficult to find any great news," Rob Bailey, senior research fellow at Chatham House, informed BBC News.

"Biofuels increase expenses and they are a very pricey method to minimize carbon emissions," he said.

The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having hugely distorting results in the marketplace. Because utilized cooking oil is considered one of the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the cost for it has risen quickly. Rob Bailey states that towards the end of 2012 it was more costly than refined palm oil.

"It creates a financial incentive to buy refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and then sell it at revenue,"

"It is crazy but the incentives exist."

There are likewise worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is developing more climate issues than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into the larger the deficit developed in the edible oils market. This had actually resulted in increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, often produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into consideration these indirect results, biofuels made from vegetable oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from utilizing diesel in the first place," stated Rob Bailey.

"Plus you are asking drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a totally illogical technique."

Biofuel benefits

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

"Blaming biofuels for all the difficulties in the world is a bit too overstated," said Isabelle Maurizi, job manager at the EBB.

"It has brought lots of benefits. It has actually improved the security of our diesel; it has lowered 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 tough decisions on how to progress on this problem as it deals with tripling the costs for vehicle drivers by 2020.

Insiders suggest its preference would be to attempt and get agreement in Brussels on the effects of indirect expenses which may constrain what counts as biofuel. However getting agreement from countries with powerful agricultural sectors who benefit from the existing arrangement will be challenging.

"When you have a lobby that includes the farming sector and the oil sector it is really difficult for Governments to make a U-turn," said Rob Bailey.

County starts recycling chip fat

8 December 2010

How does Qantas fly on chip fat? Video, 00:02:00 How does Qantas fly on chip fat?

13 April 2012

Measuring energy crops' footprint

18 October 2012