Biofuels are good for the economy and the environment, argues John Travers
The abundance of oil and gas that has been a driver of unprecedented social and economic growth throughout the world for over a century is running out. No one disputes that these fossil fuels will run out and only the effective date remains in question.
The more interesting question is what we will use instead as a source of energy? In particular for transport, what alternative fuel will we use to drive our planes, trains and automobiles?
The alternative that provides the most practical near-term solution is biofuels. Bioethanol, which is made from renewable sugary crops such as corn or sugar cane, can replace petrol, while biodiesel, which is made from renewable oily sources such as rapeseed or tallow, can replace diesel.
Last year, 33 billion litres of biofuels were consumed around the world, about eight times the volume of all transport fuels used in Ireland. The International Energy Agency has recorded an average 14 per cent annual growth in biofuels use over the last five years and this is set to continue.
The international scientific literature and consensus show that biofuels offer significant advantages when compared to fossil fuels. The greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels are up to two thirds less than those of fossil fuels according to Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). These reductions result in a cleaner environment and help countries meet their Kyoto obligations.
Domestic production enables countries to increase national security of supply of transport fuel and diversify their source of fuel away from regions of political instability.
Value is delivered to rural economies where biofuel crops are grown. The fuel itself burns cleaner in vehicle engines resulting in better engine performance and leaving less carbon residues in the engine parts. As oil prices and the efficiency of biofuels production both continue to rise, biofuels will be cost competitive and deliver better value. Sceptics have cautioned against the introduction of biofuels. Their concerns must be taken seriously and addressed.
Some critics question whether more energy is needed to create biofuels than is delivered by them. Studies clearly show that the energy balance for producing ethanol is positive. The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Worldwatch Institute highlight that one unit of energy input creates 1.3 units of biofuel energy output using corn, eight units of output using sugar cane and up to 36 units of output using cellulose. This compares with 0.83 units of output for one unit of fossil fuel input, which always has a negative energy balance.
Some suggest that the growing demand for biofuels is causing food prices to rise. However, it is no coincidence that oil prices have also hit all-time highs. A recent study by consulting group LECG found that rising energy prices have twice the impact on the consumer price index for food than the price of feedstock used for ethanol. This makes sense when one considers the intensity of energy needed to produce, process, package, transport and sell our food.
Clearing of trees for planting of biofuels crops should rightly be discouraged to ensure that sustainable biofuels are not displacing other sustainable vegetation. In fact, the vast majority of biofuels are produced from crops grown on set-aside or non-food land.
Some sceptics question if there is sufficient land available for production of biofuels to meet reasonable targets set by governments. The Irish Government's obligation to substitute 5.75 per cent of fossil fuel with biofuel in transport from 2009 would result in the production of some 210 million litres of biodiesel and 220 million litres of bioethanol and require 170,000 hectares of land for the biofuels crops.
The 509,000 hectares of land that Sustainable Energy Ireland and Teagasc report is available for the production of biofuels crops in Ireland appears to be more than sufficient. If we subtract any land area that might be used for food and add back the 40,000 hectares of land formerly used for sugar beet, the conservative case is an availability of 135,000 hectares, which meets at least 80 per cent of our 2010 target needs before any efficiency improvements or the advent of cellulosic ethanol is even considered.
Many of the above arguments are addressed fully by the advent of next generation of biofuel feedstocks. Materials with cellulosic content such as grass, wood and algae can be sourced at low cost and converted to biofuel. Energy output will increase five-fold and the cost of production will be halved.
The creation of next generation biofuels has been achieved by several research organisations. The challenge remains to scale up to commercial levels. Ireland has the potential to produce some of the fastest growing and highest yields of grass biocrops in the world and its coastline provides prolific growth of marine algae.
Ireland can certainly become a world leader in developing next generation biofuels and many Irish companies and research institutes are already advancing the cutting edge in this industry. We should support these developments and embrace the social, economic and environmental benefits that biofuels provide.
• John Traversis chief executive of Alternative Energy Resources Limited (www.aer.ie)