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

The UK's "irrational" usage of biofuels will cost drivers around ₤ 460 million over the next 12 months, a think tank states.

A report by Chatham House, external says the growing reliance on sustainable liquid fuels will likewise increase food rates.

The author states that biodiesel made from veggie oil was worse for the climate than fossil fuels.

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

Since 2008, the UK has actually needed fuel providers to add a growing percentage of sustainable materials into the petrol and diesel they supply. These biofuels are generally ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research performed for Chatham House states that reaching the 5% level indicates that UK vehicle drivers will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year due to the fact that of the greater expense of fuel at the pump and from filling up more frequently as have a lower energy material.

The report say that if the UK is to satisfy its responsibilities to EU energy targets the expense to motorists is likely to increase to ₤ 1.3 bn per annum by 2020.

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

"Biofuels increase costs and they are an extremely pricey way to minimize carbon emissions," he said.

The EU biofuel mandates are likewise having extremely distorting results in the market. Because used cooking oil is considered one of the most sustainable types of biodiesel, the cost for it has increased quickly. Rob Bailey says that towards the end of 2012 it was more expensive than refined palm oil.

"It produces a monetary reward to buy refined palm oil, prepare a chip in it to turn it into utilized cooking oil and after that offer it at revenue,"

"It is crazy but the rewards are there."

There are also stresses that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in specific is producing more environment problems than it fixes. The more fuel of this type that is put into vehicles the larger the deficit developed in the edible oils market. This had actually caused increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

"Once you consider these indirect impacts, biofuels made from vegetable oils actually result worldwide in more emissions than you would get from utilizing diesel in the first place," said Rob Bailey.

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

Biofuel advantages

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

"Blaming biofuels for all the troubles on the planet is a bit too overstated," said Isabelle Maurizi, task manager at the EBB.

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