Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'even worse than nonrenewable fuel sources'
The UK's "irrational" usage of biofuels will 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 likewise increase food prices.
The author says that biodiesel made from vegetable oil was even worse for the climate than nonrenewable fuel sources.
Under EU law, external, biofuels are set to comprise 5% of the UK's transportation fuel from today.
Since 2008, the UK has needed fuel providers to include a growing percentage of sustainable products into the gas and diesel they provide. These biofuels are mainly ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.
Deep fried fuel
But research brought out for Chatham House states that reaching the 5% level means that UK vehicle drivers will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year since of the greater expense of fuel at the pump and from filling up more frequently as biofuels have a lower energy content.
The report state that if the UK is to satisfy its obligations to EU energy targets the expense to drivers is most 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, told BBC News.
"Biofuels increase costs and they are a really costly way to minimize carbon emissions," he stated.
The EU biofuel mandates are also having extremely distorting effects in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the rate for it has increased quickly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.
"It produces a financial reward to purchase refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and after that offer it at profit,"
"It is crazy however the incentives are there."
There are likewise worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is creating more climate issues than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is put into cars and trucks the bigger the deficit developed in the edible oils market. This had actually caused increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, typically produced on deforested land.
"Once you consider these indirect effects, biofuels made from vegetable oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from using diesel in the first place," stated Rob Bailey.
"Plus you are asking motorists to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a completely irrational method."
Biofuel advantages
The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external throughout the EU, stated it understood the problems triggered by the mandate. But it believes that biofuels have numerous positives.
"Blaming biofuels for all the problems in the world is a bit too overstated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, project supervisor at the EBB.
"It has brought great deals of benefits. It has actually improved the security of our diesel
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Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'Worse than Fossil Fuels'
Emilia Rodger edited this page 7 days ago