Biofuels: and ‘worse than fossil fuels’

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

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

The author says that biodiesel made from grease was worse for the environment 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 actually needed fuel suppliers to include a growing proportion of sustainable materials into the petrol 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 performed for Chatham House states that reaching the 5% level implies that UK motorists will need to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that of the greater cost of fuel at the pump and from filling up more frequently as biofuels have a lower energy material.

The report state that if the UK is to fulfill its obligations to EU energy targets the cost to vehicle drivers is most likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.

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

“Biofuels increase expenses and they are a really pricey method to reduce carbon emissions,” he said.

The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having hugely distorting effects in the market. Because utilized cooking oil is considered as among the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the price for it has actually increased rapidly. Rob Bailey states that towards the end of 2012 it was more costly than refined palm oil.

“It produces a financial incentive to purchase refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and after that sell it at earnings,”

“It is crazy however the incentives exist.”

There are likewise frets that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is producing more climate issues than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is put into vehicles the larger the deficit produced in the edible oils market. This had caused increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, typically produced on deforested land.

“Once you take into consideration these indirect impacts, biofuels made from vegetable oils actually result worldwide in more emissions than you would receive from using diesel in the very first place,” said Rob Bailey.

“Plus you are asking vehicle drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a totally illogical method.”

Biofuel advantages

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external across the EU, stated it was mindful of the problems caused by the mandate. But it thinks that biofuels have many positives.

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

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