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

The UK's "unreasonable" 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 reliance on sustainable liquid fuels will likewise increase food rates.

The author says that biodiesel made from vegetable oil was even worse for the environment 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 providers to include a growing percentage of sustainable products into the petrol and diesel they supply. These biofuels are primarily ethanol distilled from corn and biodiesel made from rapeseed, utilized cooking oil and tallow.

Deep fried fuel

But research performed for Chatham House says that reaching the 5% level suggests that UK motorists will have to pay an additional ₤ 460m a year because of the greater expense of fuel at the pump and from filling up regularly as biofuels have a lower energy material.

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

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

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

The EU biofuel mandates are likewise having hugely distorting effects in the market. Because used cooking oil is concerned as among the most sustainable kinds of biodiesel, the price for it has risen rapidly. Rob Bailey says that towards the end of 2012 it was more pricey than refined palm oil.

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

"It is insane however the incentives exist."

There are also worries that taking EU land out of production to grow rapeseed oil in particular is creating more climate problems than it fixes. The more fuel of this type that is put into cars the larger the deficit created in the edible oils market. This had lead to increased imports of palm oil from Indonesia, frequently produced on deforested land.

"Once you take into consideration these indirect impacts, biofuels made from vegetable oils in fact result worldwide in more emissions than you would get 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 totally illogical method."

Biofuel benefits

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which represents the market, external throughout the EU, stated it was mindful of the issues brought on by the mandate. But it believes that biofuels have lots of positives.

"Blaming biofuels for all the problems worldwide is a bit too overstated," said Isabelle Maurizi, task supervisor at the EBB.

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