Agrifuels Archives

Although Hungary’s agriculture minister has recently hailed the ethanol industry’s fresh investments in animal feed and foodstuffs in addition to biofuel production, the European Commission appears to remain unconvinced, still invoking the “food versus fuel” argument.

The German government published the framework for its biomass strategy, which aims to solve the conflict between biomass use versus electrification, guarantee food security and set standards for strategies in other EU countries.

The Irish transport sector uses more than double the limit of waste-based biofuels such as used cooking oil, putting Ireland in breach of a cap contained in the Renewable Energy Directive, EURACTIV has learned.

The three largest political groups in the European Parliament have backed proposals to end subsidies for biomass used in power plants and exclude primary wood burning from the EU’s renewable energy targets.

The European Union could "triple" the amount of biomass produced on a sustainable basis over the coming decades while helping restore land degraded by industrial pollution, poor agriculture, erosion and climate change, says André Faaij.

The production of bioethanol in Europe has led to greater yields of animal fodder than fuel in 2021, new figures show – further evidence that biofuels can also contribute to food stability, according to the industry.

Record fuel prices seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led cost-conscious motorists to pivot towards alternative fuel sources, with sales of E85 – a mixture of petrol and up to 85% bioethanol – rising significantly in France.

Europe's farming community gave a lukewarm reception to the possibility, suggested by the European Commission, of transferring up to €7.5 billion from the EU’s farming subsidies to the support measures aimed at overcoming dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

Environmental NGOs have been quick to attack the green credentials of biofuels, with some calling for fuels from crops to be curtailed. But their criticism ignores objective evidence, writes James Cogan.

German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir is lobbying the European Commission to postpone a new regulation on crop rotation so that farmers can grow more wheat in view of the war in Ukraine. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The EU’s promotion of biofuels as a renewable energy source is undermining the bloc’s climate goals, a new study by Princeton University academics and CIRAD, a French agricultural research body, has found.

Using forest wood to replace Russian fossil fuel imports would not only be disastrous for the environment, it would also not be a credible energy alternative, writes Karl Wagner.

The European Commission has doubled its objective for home-grown biomethane production to 35 billion cubic metres per year by 2030 as part of efforts to bolster the bloc against a looming energy crisis, according to a new communication.

Crop-based biofuels are as damaging to the climate as fossil fuels, a new study by environmental NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has found. But industry has been quick to reject the study, dismissing its findings as “erroneous” and “misleading”.

Decarbonising Europe’s transport has always been a tough equation for EU policymakers. However, the puzzle is expected to become even more complex as the European Commission is considering taxing at the same rate fossil fuels and crop-based biofuels, EURACTIV has learnt.

Climate campaigners have started the process of a legal challenge against the European Union over the labelling of investments in bioenergy and bio-based plastics and chemicals as green in its flagship sustainable finance rulebook.

A coalition of 10 EU member states, led by Sweden, have written to the French EU Council Presidency and the European Commission to warn against the planned revision of sustainability criteria for bioenergy, saying it is too early to do so.

Europe's new climate legislation needs to help citizens transition to renewable energy while protecting them from price shocks caused by volatile fossil fuel prices, according to Nicolás González Casares, a Spanish lawmaker for the Socialists and Democrats.

Finland has come out against the EU's draft “Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act” saying the proposed classification of biomass under the EU's green finance rules goes against the country's national interest.

The European Commission has until February 2022 to comply with the EU Ombudsman’s recommendation to provide data related to the origins of imported Used Cooking Oil (UCO) biofuel in the EU, amid concerns over alleged fraud cases.

While the EU maintains that ethanol has a role to play in Europe’s shift to clean transport, the production of ethanol is damaging the environment and hurting local communities in South America, argues Audrey Changoe.

Both tenants and homeowners need to be involved in renovation programmes to bring Europe's ageing building stock in line with its climate goals. Energy cooperatives could be one way to encourage citizens' support, writes Ciarán Cuffe.