A new generation of biofuels could meet almost half of Britain’s renewable transport needs, but without them the UK will miss its 2020 target, a new Government-commissioned report warns.
The study, by the
National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials (
NNFCC), suggests
second-generation biofuels, such as that derived from household rubbish, could meet up to 4.3 per cent of the UK’s
renewable transport fuel target by 2020 – almost half of the 10 per cent target the UK must meet under the European Union
Renewable Energy Directive. Without more
investment, though, this new generation of fuels will not meet its potential and the UK will miss its 2020 renewable
transport target, the NNFCC said.
"The UK has ambitious carbon reduction plans and this report highlights the necessity for increased investment in advanced biofuels, which could meet almost half of our renewable transport needs by the end of the decade," Dr Jeremy Tomkinson, chief executive of the NNFCC, said.
Conventional biofuels
Vegetable oils currently provide most of the UK’s renewable fuel, but due to limited availability and competing demands for sustainable vegetable oils, the NNFCC says conventional biofuels are likely to produce only up to 6.6 per cent of the energy needed in road and rail transport by 2020.
The report says because of new technologies, such as gasification and pyrolysis, second-generation biofuels, such as those derived from industrial and household waste, wheat and woody biomass, have the potential to make up the shortfall.
But to reach their full potential will require massive investment and Government support that may be difficult to harness in the current economic climate.
Challenge
Earlier this week, Shell, a strong proponent of biofuels, said real breakthroughs in second generation biofuels would not come for over a decade.
"The challenges of upscaling cellulosic ethanol in a commercially viable way and with reliable processes are enormous," Arthur Reijnhart, general manager, Alternative Energies and Fuel Development Strategy for Shell, at a biofuels conference in Spain, adding that "deep pockets, patience and the right kind of government support" were the essential prerequisites for development of this sector.
The NNFCC report predicts that for advanced biofuels to meet the 4.3 per cent of the UK’s renewable transport needs will require around one million tonnes of woody biomass, two million tonnes of wheat (butanol) and 4.4 million tonnes of household, commercial and industrial wastes.
At this scale, though, advanced biofuels would save 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 each year – equivalent to taking nearly a million cars off the road – and create 6000 full-time construction jobs and over 2000 permanent jobs supplying and operating the plants, the report said.
"Electric cars offer a sound long-term solution to our renewable road transport needs, but biofuels are currently the best way to decrease our carbon emissions from transport," said Dr Tomkinson.
According to the International Energy Agency biofuels could meet 27 per cent of the world’s transportation fuel needs by 2050.
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