Biofuels 101 – the good, the bad & the ugly

15th April 2008 saw the launch of the UK Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), meaning that effective immediately, all fuel sold at UK pumps must contain 2.5% biofuel (either bioethanol in petrol or biodiesel in diesel).

Why? Because the world needs to wean itself off its addiction to high carbon fossil fuels

Sounds like a good idea, what’s the issue? Because if we use the wrong types of biofuels, rather than reducing our carbon emissions, we may in fact be increasing them and damaging the food chain in the process.

How could that happen? In essence - good intentions gone wrong, primarily caused by a lack of joined up thinking in government – incentivising the use of biofuels, without thinking through the implications... As an example, at the roots of the problem certain governments namely the US have championed the proliferation of corn-based bioethanol as a means of offsetting imported oil. On the surface a good idea, however when it comes to the detail, corn requires fossil-fuel derived fertilisers to produce, fossil fuels to transport, and perhaps the biggest problem of all – what was previously grown to feed humans and animals, is now grown to feed our vehicles (burning our food!). The obvious problem being that whilst we now have more fuel, we have substantially less food. As it is possible to make biofuel from a variety of cereal crops, this has had a direct effect on the price or rice for example which in Bangladesh has doubled in the last year – another clear sign that along with climate change, the poorest people are the ones who feel the effects most.

Another example of a lack of joined-up-thinking has resulted in vast rainforests (which actually store carbon), being destroyed to make room for Palm oil plantations. Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil, used in numerous products, and grown in a number of places in particular Malaysia and Indonesia. The increase in demand for biofuels (caused by mechanisms like the RTFO!) has resulted in a substantial increase in rainforest destruction, thereby increasing global carbon emissions!

So what is the solution? As we only have limited reserves of fossil fuels which are being rapidly depleted (and contribute to climate change in the process), doing nothing is not an option, so if we are to continue to use our existing vehicles designed to run on liquid fuels, we must use fuels which in their production and use have minimal impact on both the environment, and the food chain. Fortunately such options do exist. Currently the closest to-market most favourable option is to use the Jatropha plant, an inedible common weed, which grows in extremely harsh conditions where other plants can often not survive. Jatropha trees grow for 40 years and have seeds which when crushed release their oil.

So in summary: For as long as we have vehicles that run on liquid fuels we will need alternatives to high carbon fossil fuels. A viable alternative (but not the only solution!) is to use biofuels. However whilst some biofuels are very good, others are very bad, and it is vital that governments start to connect the dots, think through the options and possible outcomes, and ensure that mechanisms designed to increase the use of biofuels incentivise those which offer benefits, and prohibit those with potentially disastrous consequences.