Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'even worse than fossil fuels'

The UK's "irrational" use of biofuels will cost vehicle 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 likewise increase food costs.

The author says that biodiesel made from grease 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 needed fuel suppliers to add a growing proportion of sustainable materials into the petrol 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 study brought out for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level indicates that UK vehicle drivers will need to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year since of the higher expense of fuel at the pump and from filling more often as biofuels have a lower energy material.

The report say that if the UK is to satisfy 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 tough to find any great news," Rob Bailey, senior research study fellow at Chatham House, told BBC News.

"Biofuels increase costs and they are a very pricey way to reduce carbon emissions," he stated.

The EU biofuel requireds are likewise having hugely distorting results in the market. Because utilized cooking oil is related to as among the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the price for it has actually increased rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more costly than refined palm oil.

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

"It is crazy but the rewards are there."

There are also frets that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is creating more climate issues than it solves. The more fuel of this type that is taken into cars and trucks the bigger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had resulted in increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into account these indirect impacts, biofuels made from vegetable oils actually result worldwide in more emissions than you would receive from utilizing diesel in the very first location," stated Rob Bailey.

"Plus you are asking vehicle drivers to pay more for the fuel - it makes no sense, it is a completely illogical strategy."

Biofuel benefits

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

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

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