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

The UK's "illogical" usage of biofuels will cost vehicle drivers 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 rates.

The author says that biodiesel made from grease was worse for the environment than fossil fuels.

Under EU law, external, biofuels are set to comprise 5% of the UK's transportation fuel from today.

Since 2008, the UK has needed fuel providers to add a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the petrol and diesel they provide. 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 implies that UK motorists will need to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year since of the greater cost of fuel at the pump and from filling regularly as biofuels have a lower energy content.

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

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

"Biofuels increase costs and they are a really costly way to minimize carbon emissions," he stated.

The EU biofuel requireds are also having hugely distorting impacts in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered one of the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the price for it has actually increased quickly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.

"It produces a monetary reward to purchase refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and then sell it at earnings,"

"It is insane however the incentives are there."

There are likewise worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is more environment issues than it fixes. The more fuel of this type that is taken into cars the larger the deficit produced in the edible oils market. This had caused increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, often produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into account these indirect effects, biofuels made from veggie oils actually 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 totally illogical technique."

Biofuel advantages

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

"Blaming biofuels for all the problems on the planet is a bit too exaggerated," stated Isabelle Maurizi, task supervisor at the EBB.

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