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

The UK's "irrational" use of biofuels will around ₤ 460 million over the next 12 months, a think tank says.

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

The author says that biodiesel made from veggie oil 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 transportation fuel from today.

Since 2008, the UK has actually required fuel suppliers to include a growing proportion of sustainable products into the fuel and diesel they supply. These biofuels are generally ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, used cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research performed for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level means that UK vehicle drivers will need to pay an extra ₤ 460m a year because of the greater cost of fuel at the pump and from filling up regularly as biofuels have a lower energy material.

The report state that if the UK is to satisfy its commitments to EU energy targets the expense to motorists is likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.

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

"Biofuels increase expenses and they are a very costly method to reduce carbon emissions," he stated.

The EU biofuel mandates are likewise having hugely distorting results in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered as one of the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the cost for it has increased quickly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.

"It produces a monetary incentive to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and then offer it at revenue,"

"It is insane but the incentives are there."

There are likewise frets that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is developing more environment issues than it resolves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into automobiles the larger the deficit produced in the edible oils market. This had actually caused increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, typically produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into consideration these indirect results, biofuels made from vegetable oils in fact result worldwide in more emissions than you would receive from using diesel in the very first place," stated Rob Bailey.

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

Biofuel benefits

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external throughout the EU, stated it understood the issues triggered by the required. But it thinks that biofuels have lots of positives.

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

"It has brought great deals of advantages. It has actually improved the security of our diesel