Biofuels: 'Irrational' and 'Worse than Nonrenewable Fuel Source'
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Biofuels: 'Irrational' and '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 says the growing dependence on sustainable liquid fuels will also increase food costs.

The author states that biodiesel made from veggie oil was even worse for the climate than nonrenewable fuel sources.

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

Since 2008, the UK has actually required fuel providers to include a growing percentage of sustainable products into the gas and diesel they provide. These biofuels are primarily 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 indicates that UK drivers will have to pay an extra ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that of the higher cost of fuel at the pump and from filling more frequently as biofuels have a lower energy material.

The report state that if the UK is to meet its obligations to EU energy targets the expense 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, told BBC News.

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

The EU biofuel mandates are also having extremely distorting effects in the marketplace. Because utilized cooking oil is considered among the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the price for it has risen rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards completion of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.

"It creates a financial incentive to purchase refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and after that sell it at profit,"

"It is insane however the rewards exist."

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

"Once you consider these indirect results, biofuels made from veggie oils in fact result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from utilizing diesel in the first place," stated Rob Bailey.

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

Biofuel benefits

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the market, external throughout the EU, said it was aware of the problems brought on by the required. But it thinks that biofuels have numerous positives.

"Blaming biofuels for all the troubles worldwide is a bit too exaggerated," said Isabelle Maurizi, job supervisor at the EBB.

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