Growth through transport Biofuels could yet falter 08 July 2013

While welcoming the opening today (8 July 2013) of Vivergo's bioethanol plant at Saltend, near Hull, the REA (Renewable Energy Association) has also warned that EU proposals to be voted on this week could jeopardise future investments.

REA head of renewable transport Clare Wenner points out that Vivergo's development has already created more than 1,000 jobs, and will result in 80 full time skilled jobs on site.

And as well as producing 420 million litres of renewable transport fuel every year, the £350 million plant will also become the UK's largest single source supplier of animal feed, generating 500,000 tonnes of co-product annually for use by UK livestock farmers.

"This is a very exciting day for the UK green economy: the biofuels developed here in the UK are among the most sustainable in the world, in terms of greenhouse gas savings," comments Wenner.

"Vivergo's decision to recruit and train employees directly through the local Job Centre, in partnership with Hull College, saw them shortlisted for an REA Skills Development Award this year," she adds.

However, she worries that, with the European Parliament Environment Committee (ENVI) voting this Thursday on proposals to reduce EU renewable transport targets – on the grounds that greenhouse gases may be released indirectly as a result of land currently not cultivated coming into production (a phenomenon known as indirect land use change (ILUC)) – the future may not be so bright green.

"The science of ILUC is too uncertain to introduce theoretical ILUC factors – and it certainly cannot be used to justify calling into question major investments in our jobs and our industry," insists Wenner.

"Calculating the correct factors is impossible to do accurately, as it involves heroic assumptions about future land use changes, and also imposes an unfair penalty on biofuel developers, who are not the direct cause of the problem," she adds.

"No other land using industry is being forced to account for ILUC, and biofuels, which are the only viable way of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our transport, should not be used as a guinea pig for ILUC accounting."

Brian Tinham

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