Biofuels: ‘Irrational’ and ‘even 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 says.

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

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

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

Since 2008, the UK has needed fuel providers to include a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the fuel and diesel they supply. These biofuels are primarily ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, used cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

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

The report say that if the UK is to fulfill its commitments to EU energy targets the expense to motorists is likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per year by 2020.

“It is difficult to find any good news,” Rob Bailey, senior research study fellow at Chatham House, informed BBC News.

“Biofuels increase costs and they are a very pricey method to reduce carbon emissions,” he stated.

The EU biofuel mandates are likewise having extremely distorting results in the market. Because used cooking oil is concerned as among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the rate for it has actually risen quickly. Rob Bailey states that towards completion of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.

“It develops a monetary incentive to purchase refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and then sell it at earnings,”

“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 environment problems than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is put into automobiles the larger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had caused increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, typically produced on deforested land.

“Once you take into account these indirect effects, biofuels made from vegetable oils actually result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from utilizing diesel in the first place,” said Rob Bailey.

“Plus you are asking drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is an entirely unreasonable strategy.”

advantages

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external across the EU, stated it understood the problems triggered by the mandate. But it thinks that biofuels have numerous positives.

“Blaming biofuels for all the troubles worldwide is a bit too overstated,” stated Isabelle Maurizi, job supervisor at the EBB.

“It has actually brought lots of benefits. It has actually improved the security of our diesel