Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'worse than nonrenewable fuel sources'

The UK's "illogical" 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 says the growing reliance on sustainable liquid fuels will also increase food prices.

The author states that biodiesel made from grease was even worse for the environment than fossil fuels.

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

Since 2008, the UK has required fuel suppliers to add a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the fuel and diesel they supply. These biofuels are generally ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research study performed for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level indicates that UK vehicle drivers will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year because of the higher cost of fuel at the pump and from filling more typically as biofuels have a lower energy material.

The report state that if the UK is to meet its obligations to EU energy targets the cost to drivers is likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per year by 2020.

"It is difficult to find any great news," Rob Bailey, senior research fellow at Chatham House, informed BBC News.

"Biofuels increase expenses and they are an extremely expensive way to minimize carbon emissions," he stated.

The EU biofuel mandates are likewise having hugely distorting impacts in the market. Because used cooking oil is related to as among the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the cost for it has increased rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.

"It creates a monetary incentive to purchase refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and after that offer it at revenue,"

"It is insane however the rewards exist."

There are also stresses that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is developing more climate problems than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is put into cars the larger the deficit developed in the edible oils market. This had resulted in increased imports of from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

"Once you consider these indirect results, biofuels made from vegetable oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from using diesel in the first location," said Rob Bailey.

"Plus you are asking drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a totally unreasonable strategy."

Biofuel advantages

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external throughout the EU, said it was mindful of the problems triggered by the mandate. But it believes that biofuels have numerous positives.

"Blaming biofuels for all the problems on the planet is a bit too overstated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, job manager at the EBB.

"It has actually brought great deals of advantages. It has actually improved the security of our diesel; it has minimized EU dependence on animal feed imports, thanks to the rapeseed we grow for biodiesel."

"If there was no biodiesel farmers would simply make their land idle - no food, no feed!"

As the UK hits the 5% of liquid fuels mark, the government faces some difficult choices on how to move on on this concern as it deals with tripling the expenses for motorists by 2020.

Insiders suggest its choice would be to attempt and get agreement in Brussels on the impacts of indirect expenses which might constrain what counts as biofuel. However getting arrangement from nations with effective farming sectors who benefit from the existing plan will be challenging.

"When you have a lobby which consists of the agricultural sector and the oil sector it is really difficult for Governments to make a U-turn," said Rob Bailey.

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