Biofuels: ‘Irrational’ and ‘worse than fossil fuels'

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 states the growing dependence on sustainable liquid fuels will also increase food prices.

The author states that biodiesel made from veggie oil was even worse for the environment than fossil fuels.

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 providers to add a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the fuel and diesel they supply. These biofuels are primarily ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, used cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research carried out for Chatham House states that reaching the 5% level indicates that UK vehicle drivers will have to pay an extra ₤ 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 material.

The report say that if the UK is to fulfill its responsibilities to EU energy targets the cost to vehicle drivers is most likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per year by 2020.

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

"Biofuels increase expenses and they are a very pricey method to lower carbon emissions,” he said.

The EU biofuel mandates are also having hugely distorting results in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered as among the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the rate for it has . Rob Bailey says that towards the end of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.

"It produces a monetary reward to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and after that sell it at earnings,“

"It is crazy 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 problems than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into vehicles the larger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had actually lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into account these indirect results, biofuels made from vegetable oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from utilizing diesel in the first location,” said Rob Bailey.

"Plus you are asking vehicle drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is an entirely illogical method.“

Biofuel advantages

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the market, external across the EU, said it was mindful of the problems brought on by the required. But it believes that biofuels have numerous positives.

"Blaming biofuels for all the difficulties on the planet is a bit too overstated,” said Isabelle Maurizi, job manager at the EBB.

"It has brought great deals of benefits. It has enhanced the security of our diesel