Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'even worse than nonrenewable fuel sources'

The UK's "illogical" usage of biofuels will cost motorists around ₤ 460 million over the next 12 months, a think tank says.

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 grease was 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 needed fuel providers to add a growing percentage of sustainable products into the gas and diesel they supply. These biofuels are primarily ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research brought out for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level suggests that UK motorists will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year since of the higher cost of fuel at the pump and from filling more frequently as biofuels have a lower energy .

The report state that if the UK is to satisfy its responsibilities to EU energy targets the expense to motorists is likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per year 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 really costly method to lower carbon emissions," he stated.

The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having hugely distorting results in the market. Because utilized cooking oil is considered one of the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the price for it has risen rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards the end of 2012 it was more costly than refined palm oil.

"It creates a financial reward to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and then offer it at earnings,"

"It is insane but the rewards exist."

There are likewise frets that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is developing more environment issues than it fixes. The more fuel of this type that is taken into automobiles 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 consider these indirect impacts, biofuels made from vegetable oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would receive from utilizing diesel in the first place," stated Rob Bailey.

"Plus you are asking motorists to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a totally irrational strategy."

Biofuel benefits

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external throughout the EU, said it understood the problems caused by the mandate. But it believes that biofuels have numerous positives.

"Blaming biofuels for all the difficulties worldwide is a bit too exaggerated," said Isabelle Maurizi, job supervisor at the EBB.

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