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

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

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

The author says that biodiesel made from veggie oil was worse for the environment 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 needed fuel providers to include a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the petrol and diesel they supply. These biofuels are generally ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

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

The report state that if the UK is to meet its commitments to EU energy targets the cost to vehicle drivers is likely to rise to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.

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

"Biofuels increase costs and they are an extremely expensive method to reduce carbon emissions," he stated.

The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having extremely distorting impacts in the marketplace. Because used cooking oil is concerned as among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the price for it has increased rapidly. Rob Bailey states that towards the end of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.

"It creates a monetary reward to purchase refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into used cooking oil and after that sell it at revenue,"

"It is crazy but the rewards are there."

There are likewise stresses that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is developing more climate issues than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is put into cars and trucks the bigger the deficit developed in the edible oils market. This had lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into consideration these indirect effects, biofuels made from veggie oils really result worldwide in more emissions than you would receive from using 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 completely irrational strategy."

Biofuel advantages

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the market, external across the EU, said it knew the problems caused by the mandate. But it thinks that biofuels have lots of positives.

"Blaming biofuels for all the problems in the world is a bit too exaggerated," said Isabelle Maurizi, job manager at the EBB.

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