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

The UK's "illogical" use 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 reliance on sustainable liquid fuels will also increase food rates.

The author says that biodiesel made from vegetable oil was even worse for the climate 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 actually required fuel providers to include a growing proportion of sustainable materials into the fuel and diesel they provide. These biofuels are generally ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research study carried out for Chatham House says that the 5% level implies that UK drivers will have 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 content.

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

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

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

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

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

"It is insane however the incentives exist."

There are also frets that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is creating more environment problems than it fixes. The more fuel of this type that is put into automobiles the bigger the deficit produced in the edible oils market. This had resulted in increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, often produced on deforested land.

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

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

Biofuel benefits

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the industry, external across the EU, stated it knew the issues triggered by the mandate. But it believes that biofuels have lots of positives.

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

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