Green lobbies are also turning against biodiesel. They now say that growing crops for biodiesel puts too much pressure on land and food prices...
Posted on 12/27/2007 5:14:10 AM PST by Brilliant
The European Union's dream of using vegetable-based diesel fuel in cars to cut oil imports and the pollution that causes global warming is turning sour.
The bloc made a big bet on biodiesel fuels in 2003, agreeing that its governments would phase in tax breaks and rules to encourage their production and use...
Mirroring the U.S. experience with ethanol, European companies rushed to make biodiesel out of a range of things, including rapeseed crops and used McDonald's frying oil. Low raw-material costs and generous tax breaks meant margins were high. By last year, Europe's annual capacity to make the fuel had climbed to 10 million metric tons from two million tons in 2003.
As with ethanol in the U.S., though, Europe now has a glut of biodiesel. The world consumed only nine million tons of biodiesel last year. Europe's producers found buyers for just five million tons. The industry is in trouble, under pressure from soaring costs, disappearing tax breaks, less-costly imports and waning public support...
It also means the EU risks missing the goal it set in 2003 of replacing 10% of transportation fuel with nonfossil fuels by 2020.
The 27-nation bloc, which claims to lead the world in cutting the carbon-dioxide emissions believed to cause global warming, uses nonfossil fuels for less than 2% of transportation fuel consumed.
Since January, prices for the crops that make most biodiesel have doubled, driving the cost of a ton of biodiesel up 50%, to around $1,440 a ton, or about $4.80 a gallon. Prices for regular crude-oil-based diesel have risen sharply, too, but only to $840 a ton, or $2.80 a gallon...
Green lobbies are also turning against biodiesel. They now say that growing crops for biodiesel puts too much pressure on land and food prices...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I would have enjoyed the irony of all of Europe smelling like Mac Fries.
” and used McDonald’s frying oil
I would have enjoyed the irony of all of Europe smelling like Mac Fries.”
It’s funny...I’ve seen Euroweenies interviewed bemoaning the existence of McDonald’s in their countries and blaming the US for trying to fatten Europeans. lol Yet, plenty of Euros must enjoy eating there if enough frying oil is being used to possibly be used in a biodiesel program.
ping
“Green lobbies are also turning against biodiesel. They now say that growing crops for biodiesel puts too much pressure on land and food prices...”
I can’t imagine that would be the case. Afterall, their original support for biodiesel was based on science, and science is never wrong.
As with ethanol in the U.S., though, Europe now has a glut of biodiesel.
Granted this particular article is from the NYT but it is typical:
We have a glut of nearly everything that is related to farm production.
Over production is one of the farmers biggest financial dangers. We have mountians of excess farm products, and they’re growing every year.
Ethanol is no exception.
Using crops and waste to make biodiesel doesn’t seem to make sense. Wouldn’t it be better to make it with algae? All it would need is water, sunlight, and waste CO2.
Amazing ignorance in Europe and here. The alternate fuel crowd think you can replace gasoline with another carbon-based fuel (vegetable oil or ethanol) and reduce C02 emissions.
And some more details about algae-based bio-diesel:
1. Use desert lands that are otherwise useless for growing crops. You need lots of sun - and that’s what deserts have. But “useless” desert lands could provide the acreage needed. Shallow ponds or lengthy canals would be built (line them with rubber from discarded car tires ...)
2. Use seawater. Don’t use up precious fresh water.
3. To accelerate growth - just add Carbon Dioxide. Photosynthesis is the process where sunlight provides energy and chlorophyll is the catalyst to convert CO2 and H2O into complex hydrocarbon chains. In plants - it can become cellulosic material - the wood, bark, leaves, etc.
To add CO2, locate the algae growing regions near a coal burning plant (like the 4 Corners Generating Plant), or build a coal burning plant near the algae growing fields. Run the power plant’s exhaust stack emissions through the water so that much of the CO2 would be removed.
Theoretical yields of algae based biodiesel - could give up to 1000 times more yield (energy) for the same area as if the area was used for corn based ethanol. And since we would be using fairly useless land ... it wouldn’t have the negative effects on land use, diverting grain from the food chain, etc.
Mike
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