Reuters has reported that The European Union is very close to agreeing standards for biofuels. The effect of biofuels on human rights and endangered species is high on the agenda, as is the decisive issue of the actual reduction in CO2 that may be achieved.

The use of biofuel is growing rapidly as developed countries look to remove complete dependence on imported oil and also reduce CO2 emissions. There are fears that the biofuel industry may lead to deforestation and an increase in food prices. The European Union aims to have 10% of its transport fuel from renewable sources by 2020.

Oxfam believes that the knock-on effects of biofuel production could push thirty million people worldwide into poverty. A report on the side-effects of biofuel is expected in the United Kingdom this week. Aid agencies also feel that the EU targets will encourage exploitation of workers in the exporting countries.

Brazil is a large producer of biofuels and they are closely following the EUs progress as this could lead to demand for their product. Even biofuel that does not meet EU standards will still be available in the EU but will not count towards the member states renewable fuel targets.

Environmentalists have also argued that the existing production of biofuel has already led to deforestation, both directly and indirectly by using up agricultural land, forcing farmers to slash into virgin rainforest to make room for food crops. The problem that remains is how to monitor that situation outside the EU, with satellite photography one possible solution.

Country and Western songster Willie Nelson had a lot to do with Carlos Guzman and Larry Walter venturing into the biodiesel industry. His biodiesel venture in Texas now markets biodiesel under the BioWillie brand.

Walter, 59, a retired Army sergeant, said he encouraged Guzman to create a business and then decided to depart from his job as a computer specialist to help Guzman form Global Alternative Fuels (GAF).

The North American Development Bank lately approved a $20 million loan to help finance completion and growth of the biodiesel plant at the former Southwestern Irrigated Cotton Growers Association cotton-processing and cotton-storage plant.

The loan, which still has to be finalised, is the biggest given by the bank to a private company and the first alternative fuels endeavour funded by the bank.

The company is estimated to start producing biodiesel in September from used vegetable oil (or grease) collected from El Paso restaurants plus  vegetable oil and animal fat shipped from other places. Eventually, it will also use oil from the beans of the Jatropha plants the company is growing in Mexico. The company plans to initially generate 5 million gallons, or more than 119,000 barrels, of biodiesel a year.  Its goal is to deliver 100 million gallons a year by 2012.

Last year, 500 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in the United States, displacing 20 million barrels of oil imports. The United States has 171 biodiesel plants in operation, and 57 under construction at the start of this year. Global Alternative Fuels has a contract to sell its biodiesel to Western Refining in El Paso to be mixed with ordinary diesel.

Guzman said El Paso has an estimated 1.2 million gallons of grease available annually from area restaurants. So, besides shipping in used vegetable oil and animal fat from out of town, the company is looking to Juarez for more grease, where the company is part of a co-op growing Jatropha plants on 500 acres. Beans from the plants contain oil, which can’t be used for cooking because it’s poisonous, but are used in other parts of the world to make biodiesel.

Grease or other vegetable oils are put through a biodiesel processor at the GAF plant and chemicals help break down the grease. No water is used in the process. The skyrocketing price of petroleum diesel, which was selling for an average $4.64 per gallon in El Paso last week, is helping the biodiesel business, which also is boosted by government price subsidies.

For more information: www.globalalternativefuels.com; www.biodiesel.org

 It seems that when it comes to discussing the effects of vegetarianism on our bodies, there are an equal number of supporters and detractors. Some suggest there are infinite gains, while others suggest we miss out on vital nutrients by not eating meat. However, what about our cars drinking vegetable oil?

According to reports in The Scotsman, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people wanting to take home vegetable oil from the local chip shop to fuel their cars in the face of soaring petrol and diesel prices.

Powering a car by vegetable oil can have some significant advantages. For example, using a blend of vegetable oil will reduce your reliance on fuel and also reduce your carbon emissions. You can use up to 2,500 litres of vegetable oil a year without having to pay any extra tax.

However, it is important to carry out the filtering process in the correct manner and not to overuse the amount of oil you include. Some engines are simply not compatible with vegetable oil, and using the wrong amount can cause serious damage.

Graeme Barrie was interviewed in The Scotsman. He uses a blend of 20 per cent vegetable oil with the rest diesel in both his Land Rover and his wife’s Peugeot 306. He estimates that he has been able to reduce his wife’s spend from more than £3,000 a year to around £600 a year.  

Before applying the same strategy to your own vehicle read up on its compatibility - you should also check out our guides to bio-diesel, bio-ethanol and biofuels.

To read the Scotsman article in full, click here.

 Gone are the days of cumbersome green cars that can barely travel faster than the milk cart. Now, many alternative fuel vehicles are fun, funky and fast as this top ten list demonstrates - showing the fastest vehicles for various fuel types.

1. E85 Viper - Proof that petrol has nothing on E85 (85 per cent ethanol, 15 per cent petrol) this is a modified version of the Dodge Viper that has 1200horsepower and smashed the standing mile-speed record. It has a top speed of 220.7mph.
2. British Steam Car Challenge Inspiration - With looks not dissimilar to the Batmobile, the Inspiration is an instant head turner built by the team that created the first land vehicle to break the sound barrier. Powered by liquid propane it has a top speed of 215mph.
3. Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 - A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that may offer a glimpse into the future of this incredible technology with a top speed of 207.3mph.
4. Audi R10 TDI - Audi replaced its all-conquering R8 prototype with the biodiesel fuelled R10 powered by a 650horsepower, 5.5litre, twin-turbo charged direct injection engine that secured victory in the 2007 Le Mans 24Hr Race. It has a top speed of 204.5mph.
5. Toyota Landspeed Prius - The most famous green car in the world takes its hybrid synergy drive system to a new level with a top speed of 130.8mph.
6. Tesla Roadster - The fastest plug-in electric, the Tesla Roadster races to 60mph in just four seconds. It’s so popular that it already has a waiting list of 10months - its top speed is estimated at 130mph.
7. Nuon Solar Team “Nuna4″ - A single-seat racer that uses solar power and can achieve 80mph by using no more electric than a vacuum cleaner.
8. Volvo Aria - This engineless vehicle has fibreglass bodywork and is capable of more than 50mph using gravity as its power source.
9. FM-4 Humancar - Human-powered cars have come a long way since the Flintstones as the Humancar demonstrates using a rowing action to achieve speeds of 30mph - or 50mph downhill.
10. Venturi Eclectic - Wind and solar power combine on the Venturi Eclectic which was inspired by NASA’s Lunar Rover and has top speeds of 31mph.

A quick recap of the 2008 and its implications. 

Company car tax
The lower CO2 threshold for qualifying cars reduces to 130g/km from April 2010.

Authorised Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs)
Rates for business mileage in a private car in 2008/9 held at 40p/mile up to 10,000 miles a year, 25p/mile above 10,000 miles.

Class 1A NICs
Calcualtion is based on 12.8% of P11D value in 2008/9 - unchanged from 2007/8.

Employer-provided ‘free’ fuel
Government set rate for the calcualtion of tx due on employer-provided ‘free’ fuel for private use rose to £16,900 from April 2008.

Capital allowances
These will be based on emissions of CO2 from April 2009. Expenditure on cars with CO2 emissions above 160g/km will attract 10% writing down allowance (WDA) while expenditure on cars with CO2 emissions of 160g/km or below with attract 20% WDA.

Biofuels
Duty differentials for biofuels will cease in 2010, with support switching to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) from April 2008. The RTFO aims to reach a target of 5.7% biofuel content for all road transport fuels by 2010.

Fuel duty
A rise in duty of 2p/litre is deferred until 1 October 2008.

Date: 17 June 2008
Time: 9.30am - 5.00pm
Location: University of Southampton
Contact: Roy Williamson - roy.williamson@envirobusiness.co.uk
Price: Free
This one day seminar is focussed on the use of algae as a sustainable fuel. The event will bring together:

- Research expertise in the fields of biology, processing and combustion
- SMEs developing and deploying products, for cultivating algae through to oil extraction
- Corporates seeking to engage and develop supply chains for sustainable fuel
- Funding and support organisations
- Major networking organisations with specific expertise across the ‘tank to tank’ supply chain
Participants will learn more about the driving forces, political framework, technology challenges and expertise. You will also glean more about programmes of financial support for de-risking technology development and commercialisation.
Organisations presenting include:
- Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Eco-Solids
- Renewable Fuels Agency
- University of Southampton
- Carbon Trust
- First Light Energy
- Bioscience for Business KTN
- Regenatec
- WRc
- The Marine Biological Association

For more information and to register, please visit:
http://www.envirobusiness.co.uk/energise-knowledge-event.html

Faye Sunderland

It has been announced in the USA that the biofuel company Mascoma Corporationhas formed a strategic relationship with the global car manufacturers General Motors to develop cellulosic ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol is a fuel made from wood, paper pulp or agricultural waste.

General Motors partnership with Mascoma will focus on single-step biochemical conversion of non-grain biomass into low-carbon alternative fuels.

Mascoma Corporation’s aim is to develop innovative and cost effective advances in biotechnology and engineering to unlock and harness the potential of this low carbon, renewable energy solution - moving the world beyond traditional approaches to ethanol production.

Jatropha, the wild African perennial is being hailed as a possible solution to the biofuel headache. Its small seeds are dried and crushed to harvest their oil as a biofuel and can be used in almost any diesel engine without the need for modifications. But is it really the wonder plant it is promoted to be?

To acknowledge its virtues, we must admit certain advantages it has over traditional biofuel crops such as palm oil and rapeseed. To begin with it is extremely hardy, it can grow virtually anywhere. As such it does not compete with food crops because does not need to be grown on traditional fertile farmland or displace food crops.  It grows in the most arid of conditions and can yield seeds for up to fifty years. It requires little to no irrigation. It is also inedible, as such using it as biofuel is not depriving vulnerable communities of a valuable food source. The plant is also said to actually improve the quality of the soil it grows in and requires little fertiliser. Like all biofuels, whilst growing, it absorbs CO2 meaning CO2 neutrality when burnt as a fuel.

However it is still a relatively wild plant, its productivity is low and difficult to stabilise. Yields vary widely from year to year.  One hectare of the oilseed plant would produce a mere two tonne of oil. Not to mention it is highly toxic and requires careful handling by farmers. Ingesting just three seeds from small fruit is enough to kill, sap from its bark stains skin and can irritate for days. As the seeds are crushed to harvest oil they release toxic vapour. Crops ripen at different times making harvesting labour intensive and slow. Farming the plant could be dangerous and unpleasant.

There is greenhouse gas emissions such as NOx and other particulates to consider too. Encouraging reliance on biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels has long been a concern for environmental groups. Growing biofuel crops such as Jatropha would serve the interest of wealthier nations and not necessarily help poorer countries. The buying power of western countries could still theoretically lead to the displacement of food crops.

Greenpeace scientist, Paul Johnston echoed this unease;

“Sustainability of our energy production is the most important thing and we must not get side-tracked by short term or false solutions. Ultimately we need to reduce our energy consumption and face up to the fact that transport industry needs to meet the challenge of climate change.”

Despite concerns, claims are that Jatropha biofuel could be in UK diesel by next year.

www.greenpeace.org.uk

Faye Sunderland

 According to Government regulations all petrol and diesel sold on British forecourts must now contain at least 2.5 per cent biofuel. In the eyes of those in power, this flagship policy will make our vehicles greener. However, is that really the case?

A group of campaigners protested across the country last week on the back of growing evidence that the push for biofuels is causing a food crisis in developing countries, and that the absence of any strict standards means rainforests and wildlife-rich savannahs are being destroyed in order to grow plants that will be used as fuel.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) has come in for criticism from the RSPB, the conservation body, which has branded its introduction as ‘over-hasty’.  

“The volume of biofuel that can be genuinely described as sustainable is at present very small indeed and is nowhere near enough to warrant the 2.5 per cent obligation,” commented Graham Wynne, chief executive of the RSPB.

Environmentalists believe that the carbon dioxide savings are far outweighed by the lost rainforest, the use of fertilisers, and the fuel used in conversion and transportation.

However, the Government has hit back by insisting that the RTFO puts the UK at the forefront of efforts to make the industry sustainable. It also insists that suppliers provide reports on where the green petrol and diesel comes from, along with the potential carbon savings.

In all, the Department of Transport estimates that 2.5million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved by 2010. Campaigners meanwhile are calling for a legally binding target that biofuels must save at least 60 per cent more carbon than they produce.

Regular motorists will notice no difference at the pumps as the biofuels, sourced from rapeseed, soya beans and palm oil, will be mixed in with regular fossil fuels.

Links: Petrol and diesel must contain 2.5 per cent biofuels

 One day on from the annual Earth Day celebrations, an event used to promote awareness of environmental issues, it’s interesting to evaluate the progress made in the green car sector in 2008.

After years of playing catch up when it comes to green issues, Americans have now placed a clearer focus on smaller more fuel-efficient cars prompted partly by rising gas prices - set to hit $4 a gallon later this year.

Tesla motors, a California based manufacturer has begun production of the Tesla Roadster - a high-performance electric car that will run from 0-60 in less than four seconds. It is currently being produced at a Lotus plant in England.

General Motors is also hoping to have an impact with its Chevy Volt electric, which it believes will be the world’s first mass-produced electric car and is tipped for success in the US market - with around 100,000 Volts expected to be sold by 2012.

There has also been extensive progress in the development of hydrogen fuel cell concepts. BMW has unveiled a 7-series fuel-cell, GM plans to bring a fleet of fuel-cells to China and both Mercedes and Honda have made sizeable investments in the technology.

Elsewhere, cleaner diesel engines have emerged. The BMW 118d scooped the world green car of the year award at the New York Auto Show and even bested the Toyota Prius in a mileage challenge conducted by The Times.

Volkswagen, already making waves in the green car industry with its BlueMotion vehicles, has unveiled a diesel-electric version of the VW Golf. This hybrid car is expected to return incredible fuel efficiency in the region of 83mpg.

Finally, there has even been progress in the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel too with GM to add four more vehicles to its stock of cars that can run on E85.