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Development of Next Generation Biofuels
The development of second generation biofuel technologies is directly linked to the criticisms that have surrounded the production of the first generation fuels, writes TheBioenergySite Senior Editor Chris Harris.First generation fuels have been and still are being attacked for being a threat to food supplies and to biodiversity.
At the recent European Biofuels Conference and Expo in the UK, protestors managed to breech the conference grounds on two occasions to demonstrate over the threat the saw from biofuels to food supplies.
A recent report from Hormel, the giant pig meat processing company in the US, recorded a majority of consumers being alarmed at the way corn is being used to produce ethanol.
Speaking at the recent Next Generation Biofuels Markets conference in Amsterdam, Dr Roland Stein, giving the legal perspective on Driving the Development of Next Generation biofuels said that the first generation had not only been criticise3d for its attack on food supplies, but also the fact that it is considered not cost competitive with existing fossil fuels such as oil and that there are limited greenhouse gas emission savings.
He said that second generation biofuels can help solve these problems and can supply a larger proportion of fuel supply sustainably, affordably, and with greater environmental benefits.
Under current legislation the EU lays down how countries can promote the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels for transport, but in general it allows each country to decide on its own biofuels policy, so long as it stays within the EU remit.
In directive 2003/30/EC - article 3 paragraph 4 - the EC legislation says: "In the measures that they take, the Member States should consider the overall climate and environmental balance of the various types of biofuels and other renewable fuels and may give priority to the promotion of those fuels showing a very good cost-effective environmental balance, while also taking into account competitiveness and security of supply."
In Germany this is interpreted as allowing the country to give tax relief for the use of biofuels.
The Energy Tax Act grants tax relief for:
- Synthetic hydrocarbons or synthetic hydrocarbons mixtures, gained through thermochemical transformation of biomass;
- Alcohols gained through biotechnological processes of pulping Cellulose
- Energy products, consisting of 70-90 per cent bioethanol
These are biofuels specifically worthy of promotion - "besonders förderungswürdige Biokraftstoffe" - Dr Stein told the conference. In Germany this tax relief on biofuels has been granted until the end of 2015.
However, Dr Stein said that the future development lay in the introduction of sustainable criteria within the draft directives coming from the European Commission- including the Draft Fuel Quality Directive and the Draft Directive on the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources.
Under the Draft Fuel Quality Directive, he said that the sustainability criteria included greenhouse gas performance of the fuel so that at least 50 per cent direct greenhouse gas emission savings have to be achieved from a non-fossil fuel derived from biomass, in comparison with fossil fuel.
The new biofuel also has to be sustainable with no impacts on the environment. This includes no deforestation, compliance with international conventions such as the UN Convention on the Protection of Indigenous People, the protection of air, water and soil quality.
Second generation fuels will also have to adhere to certain social standards including mandatory reporting of the social consequences of the production of the fuel, a declaration of consent from the local communities and full public access to information and full participation of the local communities in decision making.
However, Dr Stein also said that the future is still not fully clear as recent amendments had down graded the requirement for a 10 per cent biofuel target down to five per cent and debate is still continuing over the future direction of the Renewable Energy Directive.
This directive together with the Fuel Quality Directive is due to be discussed by the European Parliament on 16 December.
However, greenhouse gas emission performance is expected to play a large part in any future legislation and regulation of second generation biofuels and the industry can expect additional support for these new fuels.
