SaveMoneyOnCars.co.uk
A sunflower is filling up a car with green power

Green Power

The aim of all biofuels is to be carbon neutral. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional transport fuels.

Biofuel - the pros and cons

As more environmentally conscious drivers search for ways to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and therefore reduce their negative impact on the environment, many are considering biofuel.

However, what is biofuel and can it be used in any vehicle? Do biofuels really boost the environment and save you money, or are there negative effects too? This guide to biofuel will examine the pros and cons to help you make an informed choice.

Quick links:

What is biofuel?

Broadly speaking, biofuel refers to any solid, liquid or gas fuel that has been derived from biomass. It can be produced from any carbon source that is easy to replenish - such as plants.

One of the main challenges when producing biofuel is to develop energy that can be used specifically in liquid fuels for transportation. The most common strategies used to achieve this are:

  • Grow plants – Plants that naturally produce oils include oil palm, jatropha, soybean and algae. When heated resistance (viscosity) is reduced they can be burned within a diesel engine or they can be processed to form biodiesel.
  • Grow sugar crops or starch – These include sugar cane, sugar beet, corn and maize which are then turned into ethanol through the process of yeast fermentation.
  • Woods – By-products from woods can be converted into biofuels including methanol, ethanol and woodgas.

What are the different types of biofuel?

There are many different biofuels available in the UK. One of the most common worldwide is E10 fuel, which is actually a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% petroleum. This formula has been improved in recent years with the introduction of E15 fuel (15% ethanol, 85% petroleum); E20 fuel (20% ethanol, 80% petroleum); E85 fuel (85% ethanol, 15% petroleum); E95 fuel (95% ethanol, 15% petroleum) and E100 fuel which is ethanol with up to 4% water.

In Europe, biodiesel is the most popular form of biofuel - it can be used in any diesel engine when mixed with mineral diesel. This is produced from oils and fats and is now readily available at many petrol stations.

There are many other types of biofuel available including vegetable oil, which is used in many older diesel engines; butanol, which is seen as a replacement for petroleum; and biogas which is produced from biodegradable waste materials.

This technology has been expanded with the introduction of 'second generation' biofuels - which use biomass to liquid technology. Examples include biohydrogen, biomethanol and mixed alcohols.

Third generation biofuels are also known as algae fuels. They have many advantages including have a low input and a high yield level – they produce 30 times more energy per acre than land – and are also biodegradable. As a result, they are relatively harmless to the environment if spilled.

Where are biofuels used?

Biodiesel can, in theory, be used in all diesel engines. However, due to the parts attached to the diesel engine, some manufacturers do not approve engines running on 100% biodiesel.

Volkswagen, SEAT, Audi and Skoda all approved their cars built from 1996-2004 running on 100% RME biodiesel - that is biodiesel made from rapeseed - on the condition that it meets specification EN14214.

Generally speaking, it is recommended that you use a combination of biodiesel blended with regular diesel. Indeed at the majority of petrol stations, a 5% biodiesel mix is used. It is also worth bearing in mind that biodiesel made from waste cooking oil can freeze in the winter - and so no more than a 50% blend is recommended.

Between 2000 and 2005 ethanol production doubled, and biodiesel production quadrupled, so biofuels are clearly on the rise. The British Government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation currently requires 2.5% of fuels sold at the pump to be biofuels. This will increase to 5% by 2010, while the EU has a target of 5.75% of all transport fuels to be from biological sources, also by 2010.

What are the advantages of biofuels?

The aim of all biofuels is to be carbon neutral. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional transport fuels.

In reality, biofuels are not carbon neutral simply because it requires energy to grow the crops and convert them into fuel. The amount of fuel used during this production (to power machinery, to transport crops, etc) does have a large impact on the overall savings achieved by biofuels. However, biofuels still prove to be substantially more environmentally friendly than their alternatives.

In fact, according to a technique called Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) first generation biofuels can save up to 60% of carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels. Second generation biofuels offer carbon emission savings up to 80%. This was backed by a recent UK Government publication which stated biofuels can reduce emissions by 50-60%.

Another advantage of biofuels is that they save drivers money. The UK Government in particular has introduced many incentives to drivers of 'green cars' based on emissions - with reduced taxation dependent on how environmentally friendly your vehicle is. With petrol prices on the rise, replacing petroleum with a renewable energy source should also offer significant savings at the pump in the long term, particularly when biofuels are more readily available.

There are arguments too that biofuels are helping to tackle poverty around the world. For example, the Overseas Development Institute has pointed to wider economic growth and increased employment opportunities along with the positive effect on energy prices, as reasons to back biofuel production. This is debated due to the pressures it places on agricultural resources but biodiesel could be a long term solution as it uses simpler technology and lower transportation costs alongside increased labour.

What are the disadvantages of biofuels?

There are several concerns about biofuels - and particularly including.

  • Biodiversity - A fear among environmentalists is that by adapting more land to produce crops for biofuels, more habitats will be lost for animals and wild plants. It is feared for example, that some Asian countries will sacrifice their rainforests to build more oil plantations.
  • The food V fuel debate - Another concern is that if biofuels become lucrative for farmers, they may grow crops for biofuel production instead of food production. Less food production will increase prices and cause a rise in inflation. It is hoped that this can be countered by second generation biofuels which use waste biomass - though again, this will impact the habitat of many organisms. The impact is particularly high in developing countries and it is estimated that around 100million people are at risk due to the food price increases.
  • Carbon emissions – Most LCA investigations show that the burning of biofuels substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions when compared to petroleum and diesel. However, in 2007 a study was published by scientists from Britain, the USA, Germany and Austria which reported the burning of rapeseed or corn can contribute as much to nitrous oxide emissions than cooling through fossil fuel savings.
  • Non-sustainable biofuel production – Many first generation biofuels are not sustainable. It is necessary to create sustainable biofuel production that does not effect food production, and that doesn’t cause environmental problems.

The production of non-sustainable biofuels has been criticised in reports by the UN, the IPCC and many other environmental and social groups. As a result many governments have switched their support towards sustainable biofuels, and alternatives such as hydrogen and compressed air. During 2008, the Roundtable of Sustainable Biofuels is developing principles for sustainable biofuel production.

Are biofuels worthwhile?

After examining the pros and cons of biofuels earlier in this guide, you may be left wondering if they are really worthwhile and right for you. On one hand they massively reduce carbon emissions and can help you save cash too; but on the other hand they could negatively effect the habitat of many species and aren't necessarily energy efficient at the production stage.

Perhaps the biggest hope for biofuels is that the arrival of second and third generation alternatives should lead to more efficient production and diversify the plants and plant wastes used - therefore limiting the effects to any particular habitat.

Biofuels are very much a work in progress. If you prefer to look into alternatives to reduce your environmental impact, look at the merits of the hybrid cars and electric cars available at TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

Biofuels: latest news

Breaking news: More Toyota hybrid recalls expected

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for the beleaguered Toyota Motor Corporation following a series of vehicle recalls, now it appears that two more of its hybrid cars will be affected. According to reports in the Nikkei, Toyota will begin recalling both the Sai Hybrid and the Lexus HS250h Hybrid, which use the [...]

Mercedes launches eco-taxis in London

With zero road emissions, travelling by taxi in the nation’s capital could soon get an environmentally friendly spin. Eco City Vehicles PLC has launched an all-electric prototype of the London-licensed Mercedes Vito taxi, which has been developed by a consortium of companies including Zytek Automotive, Penso and Mercedes Benz UK. Known as the eVito taxi, it is [...]

Flexible payment system for electric car charging

Previously offered on a subscription only basis, the ChargePoint Network from Coulomb Technologies will soon come with a flexible billing system. From July, users of its charging stations will no longer need a subscription to the network and instead owners of the charging stations – whether they are utilities, retailers, municipalities or corporations – can determine [...]

i-MiEV wins Environment Special Grand Prize

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV has  been awarded the ‘Environment Special Grand Prize’ at the 25th International Automobile Festival held in Paris on February 4, 2010. Selected among four nominees each representing concrete projects for sustainable mobility in terms of environmental protection or security" by a panel of 18 design, fashion, automotive and media luminaries. As commented [...]

EU electric car law ‘flawed’

Electric car use must be backed by clean energy production and a change in legislation, a new report concludes. Commissioned by jointly Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace, Transport & Environment (T&E) and WWF Germany, the new research undertaken by Dutch consultancy CE Delft concludes that without the decarbonisation of electricity production, electric cars will not [...]

New green homes set to boost electric car use

Six hundred new ‘green homes’ are set to be built as part of the UK’s largest ever environmental building project. Housing Minister John Healey today announced his support for plans to build the eco-show homes in four new locations across the country. Part of a £60 million home building programme, the new homes will provide [...]

Audi’s Super Bowl ad upsets environmentalists

An advert shown during Sunday’s Super Bowl game in the US has caused a storm of controversy for carmaker, Audi. The advert for the Audi’s new A3 TDi depicts a force of ‘green police’ performing a check for fuel inefficient vehicles in a road block. With an anteater on their side to sniff out fuel-hungry vehicles, [...]

Video: Nissan Cube, from Tokyo to London

In 2002, an all-new second generation Nissan Cube was introduced in the Japanese market.  More spacious inside, more glass outside, with more power and, more importantly, a few more angles and curved surface details added to its compact, slab-sided exterior. Quintessentially Japanese, this new Cube took Tokyo by storm.  A pocket-sized fun-and-function cocktail mixing the [...]

Ford begins production of new Figo

Designed to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding Indian vehicle market, Ford has begun production of its new Ford Figo at its Chennai, India engine plant. The company will produce both its new 1.2litre Duratec engine and its 1.4litre Duratorq engine at the plant with export to additional markets in the Asia Pacific and African [...]

Nissan adds another city to list of partners

Last week it was Orlando (see article) and this week it is the turn of the city of Houston to enter into an agreement with Nissan to advance zero emission mobility. An announcement was made at the Houston stop of the Nissan LEAF zero emissions tour as the build up continues towards the launch of the [...]

ETA - Join the drive for greener motoring