Renewable energy directive development impacts on biofuels

Within the EU there is a common view that biofuels based on crops may lead to a competing situation where food production will drive a higher feedstock price i.e. increasing food prices. As a consequence this may also lead to an increasing number of oil palm tree plantations and related deforestation in these regions.

In Sweden, Central and Eastern Europe there are large cultivable fields presently unused for economic reasons which, according to some advocates motivate its´ alternative use for growing crops that can be used in biofuels. At least as long as these fields are not used for food production.

From a Nordic perspective, the woods are in general resources that should be used. From a central European perspective this is not equally obvious where woods is a more scarce resource. According to the Nordic perspective the yield from the woods should be used for products and renewable fuels if this is technically feasible and economically viable. At present there is a net growth of the Nordic woods which according to its advocates should enable its use in biofuels. Some critics however claim that the modern wood production that generates the net growth creates mono cultures and has a negative impact on the biological diversity.

Since there is an acute need to reduce the GHG-emissions from transportation and diminish the dependence on fossil fuels there is a need to for a long term viable biofuel road map. It is from this context the renewable energy directive was established in 2009 and now develops further within the EU.

For the coming update of the renewable energy directive The EU Parliament recently decided which feedstock should be allowed for use in biofuels. Talloil, stumps, branches etc were approved but rape seed and other crops that can be used for food production as well were given a maximum biofuel content cap in order to prevent growth of biofuels from these feedstocks. The aim is to make production of crop based fuels more difficult. The EU Council of Ministers is now expected to confirm the decision in a near future.

The dominating approach towards biofuels within the EU is that only waste should be used. From a biofuel production perspective this is complicated since the Waste directive also aims to reduce the amount of waste and to redefine rest products and surpluses into useful raw material. Hence the Waste directive and the Renewable Energy directive act in opposite directions.

The aim for EU transport fuels is to use 12% renewable feedstock by 2030. Member states must not use more than the 2017 levels or a maximum of 7% from crops in their biofuel. The original proposal was a restriction on crops at 3.8% by year 2030. Renewable electricity is included in the 12%. Important is that palm oil will be banned from 2021 as this is considered to lead to deforestation and mono cultures overseas. Overall, the EU considers an increasing use of biofuels as a threat towards land areas presently used for food production and woods. An important rationale for the debate is how ”Indirect land use change, ILUC” may incur increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, if the land used previously were woods or peat moss that previously embedded large amount of carbon dioxide. Such effect is not considered significant in Sweden. On a global scale deforestation is however a significant contribution to GHG-emissions.

The coming Renewable Energy Efficiency directive, RED II is considered a second edition from previous version from 2009. Read more