Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'worse than fossil fuels'
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 says the growing reliance on sustainable liquid fuels will likewise increase food costs.
The author states that biodiesel made from grease was 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 actually needed fuel providers to add a growing proportion of sustainable materials into the gas and diesel they supply. These biofuels are mainly ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.
Deep fried fuel
But research performed for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level implies that UK vehicle drivers will have to pay an extra ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that 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 responsibilities to EU energy targets the cost to drivers is likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.
"It is difficult to discover any excellent news," Rob Bailey, senior research fellow at Chatham House, told BBC News.
"Biofuels increase costs and they are a very expensive method to lower carbon emissions," he stated.
The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having extremely distorting impacts in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered as one of the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the rate for it has increased quickly. Rob Bailey states that towards the end of 2012 it was more costly than refined palm oil.
"It creates a financial incentive to purchase refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and then sell it at revenue,"
"It is insane but the rewards are there."
There are also frets that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is producing more climate issues than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into cars the larger the deficit produced in the edible oils market. This had actually lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, typically produced on deforested land.
"Once you take into consideration these indirect effects, biofuels made from vegetable oils in fact result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from utilizing diesel in the very first location," stated Rob Bailey.
"Plus you are asking drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a completely illogical method."
Biofuel advantages
The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external throughout the EU, said it knew the problems brought on by the required. But it believes that biofuels have many positives.
"Blaming biofuels for all the problems in the world is a bit too overstated," said Isabelle Maurizi, at the EBB.
"It has brought lots of benefits. It has actually enhanced the security of our diesel
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Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'even Worse than Nonrenewable Fuel Source'
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