Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'worse than fossil fuels'
The UK's "illogical" usage of biofuels will cost vehicle 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 says that biodiesel made from grease was even worse for the environment than nonrenewable fuel sources.
Under EU law, external, biofuels are set to comprise 5% of the UK's transport fuel from today.
Since 2008, the UK has actually needed fuel suppliers to add a growing of sustainable products into the fuel and diesel they supply. These biofuels are generally ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, used cooking oil and tallow.
Deep fried fuel
But research brought out for Chatham House states that reaching the 5% level suggests that UK motorists will need to pay an extra ₤ 460m a year because of the greater expense 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 satisfy its obligations to EU energy targets the cost to motorists is likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.
"It is hard to find any great news," Rob Bailey, senior research study fellow at Chatham House, informed BBC News.
"Biofuels increase expenses and they are a really costly method to decrease carbon emissions," he stated.
The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having hugely distorting effects in the market. Because used cooking oil is related to as among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the rate for it has risen rapidly. Rob Bailey states that towards completion of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.
"It creates a financial reward to buy refined palm oil, cook a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and then sell it at profit,"
"It is insane however the incentives exist."
There are likewise worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is developing more environment problems than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is put into vehicles the larger the deficit developed 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 account these indirect results, biofuels made from veggie oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would receive from utilizing diesel in the first location," stated Rob Bailey.
"Plus you are asking vehicle drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a completely unreasonable technique."
Biofuel benefits
The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external across the EU, said it was aware of the problems caused by the mandate. But it thinks that biofuels have numerous positives.
"Blaming biofuels for all the troubles in the world is a bit too overstated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, project manager 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 'even Worse than Nonrenewable Fuel Source'
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