Biofuels: 'Irrational' and '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 states.
A report by Chatham House, external states the growing reliance on sustainable liquid fuels will also increase food prices.
The author states that biodiesel made from veggie oil was even worse for the climate than fossil fuels.
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 providers to add a growing proportion of sustainable materials into the petrol 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 performed for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level means that UK drivers will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that of the higher expense 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 obligations to EU energy targets the expense to vehicle drivers is most likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per year by 2020.
"It is tough to find any good news," Rob Bailey, senior research fellow at Chatham House, informed BBC News.
"Biofuels increase costs and they are a really pricey way to decrease carbon emissions," he said.
The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having hugely distorting impacts in the market. Because used cooking oil is related to as among the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the cost for it has actually increased rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards the end of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.
"It produces a financial incentive to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and after that offer it at profit,"
"It is crazy however the incentives are there."
There are also stresses that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is developing more climate issues than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is put into cars the larger the deficit developed in the edible oils market. This had lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, typically produced on deforested land.
"Once you take into consideration these indirect impacts, biofuels made from veggie oils actually result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from using diesel in the first location," said Rob Bailey.
"Plus you are asking motorists 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 throughout the EU, said it was conscious of the issues triggered by the mandate. But it believes that biofuels have lots of positives.
"Blaming biofuels for all the difficulties on the planet is a bit too exaggerated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, job manager at the EBB.
"It has brought lots of benefits. It has actually enhanced the security of our diesel; it has lowered EU dependence on animal feed imports, thanks to the rapeseed we grow for biodiesel."
"If there was no biodiesel farmers would simply make their land idle - no food, no feed!"
As the UK hits the 5% of liquid fuels mark, the government faces some hard decisions on how to move on on this concern as it deals with tripling the expenses for motorists by 2020.
Insiders suggest its choice would be to attempt and get contract in Brussels on the impacts of indirect costs which may constrain what counts as biofuel. However getting arrangement from nations with effective farming sectors who benefit from the current plan will be tough.
"When you have a lobby which includes the agricultural sector and the oil sector it is really hard for Governments to make a U-turn," said Rob Bailey.
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