(LONDON)
A new report is calling on the UK Government to incentivise the production of advanced biofuels. Also called second generation biofuels, these are made from waste or byproducts from other industries.
Celtic Renewables, for example, is a pioneer in the field. The Edinburgh-based company achieved a world first last week when it used biofuel produced from ‘whisky production residues’ to power a Ford Focus during trials in the Scottish capital.
The new report – from the Royal Academy of Engineering: Sustainability of liquid biofuels – wants better support for producers and more stringent accreditation. The Academy also wants the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) to be increased from the current 5% – to help provide better low-carbon options and to meet the European Union’s target to have 10% of transport fuels from renewable sources by 2020.
Professor Adisa Azapagic – Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair of the Academy’s working group on biofuels, said: “Second generation biofuels offer real prospects for the UK to make progress in reducing emissions from transport, particularly in sectors like aviation where liquid fuels are really the only option for the foreseeable future. Our report shows that, with the right safeguards and monitoring, biofuels from waste in particular are well worth pursuing from a sustainability point of view and also provide business opportunities for development.”
