The UK government was today accused by the Renewable Energy Association (REA) of ducking an opportunity for much-needed biofuels policy reform, with no clear policy framework for sustainable biofuels.
This follows the response of the Department of Transport 9DfT) to two important consultations on renewable transport fuels, including its plans for so-called “advanced biofuels”.
The department has proposed a limited set of changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) but stopped short of outlining how it will meet its binding 10% 2020 renewable transport target.
The current RTFO obligation level is set at 4.75% by volume, or approximately 3.5% by energy, so a nearly three-fold increase in biofuel supply is needed by 2020.
REA chief executive Dr Nina Skorupska said this morning: “Sometimes policy moves too fast and becomes unstable, as we’ve seen with drastic changes to support for solar power.
“But sometimes policy moves too slowly and remains unclear, as we are still seeing with sustainable biofuels.
“Government has missed an opportunity here to set out a trajectory to its 2020 10% renewable transport target and will not introduce any substantive support for advanced biofuels until the second half of 2015 at the earliest.
“Meanwhile the UK is missing out on jobs as investors move their money to more supportive policy environments, such as the USA.”
Dr Skorupska urged the government to “up its game on transport to make the most of the economic and environmental benefits of sustainable biofuels. It doesn’t make sense to refuse to raise the RTFO obligation level when it is committed to a near-threefold expansion on current levels by 2020.”
She added that a proven market in conventional biofuels was vital for building confidence and spurring investment in advanced biofuels which, although costlier and more technologically risky right now, could provide even greater environmental benefits.