Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'worse than nonrenewable fuel sources'
The UK's "irrational" usage of biofuels will cost 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 likewise increase food costs.
The author says that biodiesel made from veggie oil was worse for the environment than fossil fuels.
Under EU law, external, biofuels are set to make up 5% of the UK's transportation fuel from today.
Since 2008, the UK has needed fuel suppliers to include a growing proportion of sustainable materials into the petrol and diesel they provide. These biofuels are mainly 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 means that UK drivers will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year since of the greater cost of fuel at the pump and from filling up regularly 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 motorists is most likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per year 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 costly method to lower carbon emissions," he said.
The EU biofuel requireds are also having extremely distorting results in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the rate for it has actually increased quickly. Rob Bailey states that towards completion of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.
"It develops a monetary reward to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and then sell it at profit,"
"It is crazy 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 environment problems than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into vehicles the bigger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, often 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 get 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 method."
Biofuel advantages
The Board (EBB), which represents the market, external throughout the EU, stated it understood the problems triggered by the required. But it believes that biofuels have many positives.
"Blaming biofuels for all the troubles worldwide is a bit too exaggerated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, project manager at the EBB.
"It has actually brought great deals of advantages. It has enhanced the security of our diesel
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Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'Worse than Fossil Fuels'
Bruno Easterbrook edited this page 1 week ago