Biofuels: and 'even 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 states.

A report by Chatham House, external states the growing dependence on sustainable liquid fuels will likewise increase food prices.

The author states that biodiesel made from veggie oil was even worse for the environment 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 needed fuel suppliers to include a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the petrol and diesel they provide. These biofuels are primarily ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, used cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research study brought out for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level indicates that UK drivers will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that of the greater cost of fuel at the pump and from filling more frequently as biofuels have a lower energy content.

The report say that if the UK is to satisfy its responsibilities to EU energy targets the expense to motorists is most likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per year by 2020.

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

"Biofuels increase costs and they are an extremely costly way to decrease carbon emissions," he stated.

The EU biofuel requireds are also having extremely distorting impacts in the marketplace. Because used cooking oil is considered among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the cost for it has increased rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.

"It develops a monetary reward to purchase refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and then offer it at revenue,"

"It is crazy but the rewards are there."

There are likewise worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is developing more environment issues than it fixes. The more fuel of this type that is taken into vehicles the bigger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had actually resulted in increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, often produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into account these indirect effects, biofuels made from veggie oils in fact result worldwide in more emissions than you would obtain from utilizing diesel in the very first location," said Rob Bailey.

"Plus you are asking vehicle drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a completely irrational method."

Biofuel advantages

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external across the EU, said it understood the problems triggered by the required. But it believes that biofuels have lots of positives.

"Blaming biofuels for all the troubles worldwide is a bit too overstated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, task manager at the EBB.

"It has brought lots of advantages. It has actually enhanced the security of our diesel