EU’s biofuels to ‘meet the highest environmental standards’

On Thursday 10 June 2010 the EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger outlined strict biofuels plans, which have been described as the ‘most stringent in the world.’

Announcing the measures in Brussels Oettinger said: ‘In the years to come biofuels are the main alternative to petrol and diesel used in transport which produces more than 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. We have to ensure that the biofuels used are also sustainable.’

And in a bid to protect the surroundings of other biofuel-producing nations the European Commission’s strategies will also apply to imported fuel.

The biofuels plan includes three key strategies.

The first is the establishment of independently assessed voluntary schemes while the second focuses on the sourcing of biofuels. According to the European Commission biofuels produced from raw materials sourced from tropical forests and areas which have recently been deforested, as well as drained peatlands and wetlands, will not count towards the 2020 target set up in 2009. The commission went on to explain that palm oil plantations transformed from forest regions would not meet the sustainability criteria. The third measure encourages the use of greenhouse gas reducing biofuels only. Biofuels are now required to reduce carbon dioxide output by 35% compared with regular fossil fuels. This figure will increase to 50% in 2017 before rising to 60% in 2018.

However environmentalists refused to show support for the new plans, claiming the most serious of problems, including deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and the encouragement of land grabbing in Asia and South America, will not be tackled.

‘Dirty biofuels exacerbate climate change and lead to destruction of rainforests,’ said Sebastian Risso, Greenpeace EU’s forest policy officer. ‘The worst biofuels are actually more polluting than petrol and there is a very real risk that Europe’s cars will run on forest destruction and animal extinction.’

Biofuels have failed to receive support from some environmental groups for some time after studies have highlighted that some biofuels can be just as damaging to the environment as fossil fuels.

Idaho to get Magic power
In Idaho, US, three anaerobic digestion (AD) plants could fuel a power station on a 15-year contract.

The Idaho Power Company is hoping to buy power from the three projects in the Magic Valley area of south-central Idaho.

The utility is seeking permission from the state’s Public Utilities Commission for the power purchase agreements with the Middleton-based developer New Energy Company.