Biofuels: ‘Irrational’ and ‘Worse than Fossil Fuels’

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

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

A report by Chatham House, external states the growing dependence on sustainable liquid fuels will likewise increase food rates.

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

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

Since 2008, the UK has needed fuel suppliers to add a growing percentage of sustainable products into the gas and diesel they supply. These biofuels are mainly 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 motorists will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that of the higher expense of fuel at the pump and from filling up more frequently as biofuels have a lower energy material.

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

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

«Biofuels increase expenses and they are a really expensive method to lower carbon emissions,» he said.

The EU biofuel mandates are also having hugely distorting impacts in the market. Because utilized cooking oil is considered among the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the price for it has risen quickly. Rob Bailey states that towards completion of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.

«It develops a monetary reward to purchase refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and then offer it at profit,»

«It is crazy but the rewards are there.»

There are also worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is producing more climate problems than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into cars the larger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, typically produced on deforested land.

«Once you take into consideration these indirect results, biofuels made from vegetable oils in fact result worldwide in more emissions than you would receive 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 irrational method.»

Biofuel advantages

The Board (EBB), which represents the market, external throughout the EU, said it was conscious of the problems brought on by the required. But it thinks that biofuels have many positives.

«Blaming biofuels for all the problems in the world is a bit too exaggerated,» said Isabelle Maurizi, project manager at the EBB.

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

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

As the UK hits the 5% of liquid fuels mark, the federal government faces some difficult decisions on how to progress on this concern as it faces tripling the costs for drivers by 2020.

Insiders suggest its preference would be to try and get agreement in Brussels on the effects of indirect expenses which may constrain what counts as biofuel. However getting agreement from nations with powerful farming sectors who benefit from the current plan will be challenging.

«When you have a lobby that includes the farming sector and the oil sector it is very difficult for Governments to make a U-turn,» stated Rob Bailey.

County begins 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