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.

Quick links:

• What is biofuel?
• What are the different types of biofuel?
• Where are biofuels used?
• What are the advantages of biofuels?
• What are the disadvantages of biofuels?
• Are biofuels worthwhile?
• Latest news

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, 5% 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. Like ethanol, biodiesel is available in a number of mixes including B5 (5% biofuel, 95% diesel), B10 (10% biofuel, 90% diesel), B20 (20% biofuel, 80% diesel), B80 (80% biofuel, 20 diesel) and B100 (100% biofuel).

In the UK, the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) obliges that all road transport fuels-petrol and diesel-sold in the UK, must contain a percentage of biofuel. This amount, currently around 3 per cent, increases annually until April 2013 when it will reach 5 per cent. Thereafter, it will remain at that level for subsequent years.

There are many sources of biofuel 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 higher biofuel blends of 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 mix up to 5 per cent biofuel is already included in diesel, thanks to the RTFO. 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 per cent blend is recommended.

Between 2000 and 2005 ethanol production doubled, and biodiesel production quadrupled, so biofuels are clearly on the rise.

What are the advantages of biofuels?

The aim of all biofuels is to be carbon neutral. They have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional transport fuels but whether they live up to this depends on the way they are produced and managed.

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 could potentially still prove to be substantially more environmentally friendly than their fossil 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.

However, there are arguments though that biofuel production has contributed to the destruction of natural habitats to make room for it. Also in some cases they are reported to have displaced valuable food production and contributed to rising food prices. Developing countries seem particularly vulnerable to the potential negative impacts of the production of first-generation biofuel crops . More on these problems is below. But on a positive note, it is hoped that tightening environmental requirements in Europe, the US and other developed countries coupled with the development of more advanced, non-food source biofuels will help stamp out these problems experienced  while importing first-generation biofuels.

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.

The controversy

Biofuels have been blamed for pushing up food prices, failing to meet environmental standards, increasing demand for water and nitrate fertilizers, and encouraging the destruction of natural habitats including rainforests. It’s still an on-going controversy which governments around the world are struggling to contain. In 2010 it was revealed that the many companies supplying biofuel to the UK were failing to fully report on the sustainability of their fuel sources. However from end of 2010, mandatory requirements for companies to report their fuel sources and environmental impacts to the Department for Transport come into force, so that the situation will at least be monitored. The environmental damage associated with the production of some first generation biofuels should not immediately lead us to label all biofuels as hazardous, this is still a developing arena for fuels  and besides, the word ‘biofuel’ is merely a catchall term and represents many different fuel sources and methods of production. There is the danger that people may confuse the likes of palm oil production in Indonesia, where rainforest has been destroyed to make way for it, with new methods of biofuel production such as using biomass waste or algae oil. As new fuel technologies emerge, the situation may change radically and we may be able to minimise environmental impact down to a fraction of current 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 could potentially reduce carbon emissions and can help you save cash too; but on the other hand they can 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 in our guides available at TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

Updated: April 2011.