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

The UK's "illogical" use of biofuels will cost motorists 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 costs.

The author states 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 required fuel suppliers to add a growing proportion of into the petrol and diesel they supply. These biofuels are mainly ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, used cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research study performed for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level implies that UK drivers will need to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year because of the greater expense of fuel at the pump and from filling up more often as biofuels have a lower energy content.

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

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

"Biofuels increase expenses and they are a really costly way to reduce carbon emissions," he said.

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

"It develops a monetary incentive to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and after that offer it at profit,"

"It is insane but the rewards exist."

There are also stresses that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is creating more climate 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 resulted in increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

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

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

Biofuel benefits

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the market, external throughout the EU, said it knew the issues caused by the mandate. But it believes that biofuels have numerous positives.

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

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