Add Climate Change: Growing Doubts Over Chip Fat Biofuel
parent
bb3da9d5d0
commit
7778ec7de2
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
|
|||
<br>Climate change: Growing doubts over chip fat [biofuel](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463471/000165495419013063/R31.htm)<br>
|
||||
<br>21 April 2021<br>
|
||||
<br>comments<br>
|
||||
<br>354 Comments<br>
|
||||
<br>New research study the environmental impact of increasing imports of used [cooking](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) oil (UCO) into the UK and Europe.<br>
|
||||
<br>Chip fat and other oils are considered waste, so when they are [utilized](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-178469/company/) to make [biodiesel](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463471/000165495419013063/R31.htm) it conserves carbon emissions by displacing fossil oil.<br>
|
||||
<br>But such is the demand throughout Europe that imports now represent over half of the UCO that's made into fuel.<br>
|
||||
<br>According to the research study, external, there's no chance to prove these imports are sustainable.<br>
|
||||
<br>Without any screening of what's coming in, experts think it is likewise ripe for fraud.<br>
|
||||
<br>Used cooking oil imports may improve deforestation<br>
|
||||
<br>Consumers pose 'growing danger' to tropical forests<br>
|
||||
<br>Reducing emissions from transport is [proving](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-178469/company/) to be one of the [toughest difficulties](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) for governments all over the world.<br>
|
||||
<br>They've motivated making use of biofuels as an essential ways of [curbing carbon](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) from cars and trucks and lorries.<br>
|
||||
<br>[Biofuels](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4) are normally a mix of nonrenewable fuel source and oil made from plants or vegetables.<br>
|
||||
<br>The fact that these crops can be re-grown and absorb more CO2 indicates they cancel out the carbon released when used in engines.<br>
|
||||
<br>Soy and palm oil were once extensively used as components of [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) however this practice has been widely rejected because it motivates deforestation.<br>
|
||||
<br>So for the last years approximately, the use of utilized cooking oil has expanded massively as an [alternative feedstock](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/) for fuel.<br>
|
||||
<br>Chip fat and other waste oils have become a key element of [biodiesel](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy) with an effective industry emerging throughout Europe to collect and process the item.<br>
|
||||
<br>But with the amount of [biodiesel](https://www.businessnews.com.au/Company/Mission-NewEnergy) made from UCO increasing by around 40% every year considering that 2014, there just isn't adequate chip fat to go around.<br>
|
||||
<br>According to a report from the campaign group Transport & Environment, external, more than half of the UCO utilized in Europe is imported.<br>
|
||||
<br>Their study recommends this is extremely troublesome when it pertains to influence on the environment.<br>
|
||||
<br>While UCO is considered a waste material in the UK, in China, Indonesia and Malaysia it has long been utilized to [feed animals](https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/shares/asx-mbt/mission-newenergy-limited/share-price). The report raises the question of what people in these countries are replacing the UCO with, when it is exported.<br>
|
||||
<br>In 2019, Malaysia exported 90 million litres of UCO to the UK and Ireland. Figures for their exports to other European nations aren't offered but the circulation of UCO is likely to be similar.<br>
|
||||
<br>With a [population](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) of around 33 million, that's close to three litres per head of utilized oil that's [collected](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) and [exported](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159346/mission-newenergy-delivers-maiden-biodiesel-production-to-global-oil-major-24476.html) to the UK and Ireland alone.<br>
|
||||
<br>By contrast, Thailand, which has a population of 70 million people, handled to collect around five million litres of UCO in 2019.<br>
|
||||
<br>"Because we are buying it, they have actually less used cooking oil to utilize on the things that they were formerly utilizing it for," said Greg Archer with Transport & Environment.<br>
|
||||
<br>"And they're simply purchasing more virgin oil which virgin oil is largely palm oil, since that's the cheapest oil available.<br>
|
||||
<br>"So indirectly, we're simply encouraging more logging in Southeast Asia."<br>
|
||||
<br>Another significant problem with UCO is the suspicion of scams.<br>
|
||||
<br>Because of demand from Europe, the price of UCO is often higher than palm oil. The concern is that some dishonest traders are merely watering down deliveries of UCO with palm.<br>
|
||||
<br>As oils of various types are mixed in bulk for transportation, and no screening of the products is brought out, some experts believe fraud is swarming.<br>
|
||||
<br>The tip of scams anywhere along the chain of supply is turned down by the European Waste-to-Advanced Biofuels Association (EWABA), who state there are robust accreditation schemes in location.<br>
|
||||
<br>"It is commonly understood that the [European](https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ipos/overview?dealId=804419-65608) Commission has taken pertinent steps to completely suppress unsound market practices in [biofuel](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) markets," stated Angel Alberdi, EWABA's secretary general.<br>
|
||||
<br>He says a brand-new database being developed by the EU will ensure that trading, certification and sustainability information on all bio-liquids will have to be registered.<br>
|
||||
<br>"The combination of revised accreditation schemes and the [pan-EU track](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) and trace database will make sure that no sustainability problems emerge in the entire biofuels and bio-liquids supply chain," he informed BBC News.<br>
|
||||
<br>Others in the field are worried that the database idea, which was first mooted in 2018, may not work in stemming presumed scams.<br>
|
||||
<br>The report from Transport & Environment explains that with shipping and aviation seeking to decarbonise by using biofuels, need for UCO might double over the next decade.<br>
|
||||
<br>"Rising the need beyond sustainable supply levels would [increase](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) these issues, and dangers of using 'fake' UCO, potentially causing indirect effects such as [deforestation](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463471/000165495419013063/R31.htm)."<br>
|
||||
<br>Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc, external.<br>
|
||||
<br>Related topics<br>
|
||||
<br>COP26<br>
|
||||
<br>Paris climate agreement<br>
|
||||
<br>Climate<br>
|
||||
Loading…
Reference in New Issue