Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'worse than fossil fuels'
The UK's "irrational" use of biofuels will cost vehicle 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 also increase food prices.
The author says 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 required fuel providers to add a growing percentage of sustainable products 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 drivers will need to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year because of the higher of fuel at the pump and from filling up more frequently as biofuels have a lower energy content.
The report say that if the UK is to fulfill its obligations to EU energy targets the cost to vehicle drivers is likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.
"It is tough to discover any good news," Rob Bailey, senior research fellow at Chatham House, informed BBC News.
"Biofuels increase expenses and they are a very expensive way to lower carbon emissions," he said.
The EU biofuel mandates are also having extremely distorting impacts in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the rate for it has actually risen rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.
"It creates a monetary reward to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and then offer it at profit,"
"It is crazy however the rewards exist."
There are also frets that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is developing more environment issues than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into cars and trucks the bigger the deficit produced in the edible oils market. This had actually caused increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.
"Once you take into account these indirect results, biofuels made from vegetable oils actually result worldwide in more emissions than you would obtain from using diesel in the very first place," said Rob Bailey.
"Plus you are asking motorists to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a completely illogical strategy."
Biofuel benefits
The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external across the EU, said it knew the issues caused by the required. But it thinks that biofuels have many positives.
"Blaming biofuels for all the troubles in the world is a bit too exaggerated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, task manager at the EBB.
"It has brought great deals of benefits. It has actually enhanced the security of our diesel
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Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'Worse than Nonrenewable Fuel Source'
Noella Clemmer edited this page 3 weeks ago