Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'worse than fossil fuels'
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 costs.
The author says that biodiesel made from grease was even worse for the climate than nonrenewable fuel sources.
Under EU law, external, biofuels are set to make up 5% of the UK's transport fuel from today.
Since 2008, the UK has actually required fuel to include a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the gas and diesel they supply. 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 suggests that UK vehicle drivers will need to pay an extra ₤ 460m a year since of the higher cost of fuel at the pump and from filling regularly as biofuels have a lower energy material.
The report state that if the UK is to meet its commitments to EU energy targets the cost to motorists is most likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.
"It is hard to find any good news," Rob Bailey, senior research fellow at Chatham House, told BBC News.
"Biofuels increase expenses and they are a really pricey way to minimize carbon emissions," he stated.
The EU biofuel mandates are likewise having hugely distorting impacts in the marketplace. Because used cooking oil is regarded as among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the price for it has actually increased quickly. Rob Bailey says that towards the end of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.
"It produces a financial incentive to purchase refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and after that offer it at profit,"
"It is insane but the rewards are there."
There are likewise stresses that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is creating more environment problems than it fixes. The more fuel of this type that is put into automobiles the bigger the deficit developed in the edible oils market. This had actually resulted in increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, often produced on deforested land.
"Once you consider these indirect effects, biofuels made from veggie oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would obtain from using 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 unreasonable method."
Biofuel advantages
The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the market, external across the EU, stated it knew the problems triggered by the required. 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 lots of advantages. It has actually enhanced the security of our diesel
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Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'even Worse than Fossil Fuels'
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