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Here are the answers to some questions that are often asked about bioethanol and renewable fuels. Please click on a question to see the answer.
Q: What is the impact on carbon emissions of using bioethanol as a fuel?
Q: If we grow crops for biofuels, won’t this lead to food shortages?
Q: I have read in a number of places that bioethanol takes more energy to produce than the energy it contains – is this true?
Q: Don’t the production facilities needed for bioethanol production have a negative impact on the environment themselves?
Q: Isn’t it better to make bioethanol from wood or straw residues and wastes?
Q: Why don’t we provide encouragement to developing countries by buying all our biofuels from the third world?
Q: A 55,000 tonne plant is quite small. Why isn’t British Sugar aiming to produce more bioethanol?
Q: Don’t we need to modify our cars to use bioethanol?
Q: Isn’t it difficult to blend ethanol with conventional petrol?
Q: Why are British Sugar interested in producing bioethanol?
Q: With hydrogen technology developing fast, why bother to implement biofuels now?
Q: With the efficiency of new cars improving all the time, do we really need to take any other action to reduce emissions?
Q: Is bioethanol the answer to all our transport emission problems?
Q: What is the impact on carbon emissions of using bioethanol as a fuel?
Research commissioned by British Sugar from Nigel Mortimer of North Energy Associates showed that when the whole life cycle of use and production is considered, bioethanol can reduce carbon emissions by over 60% compared to conventional fuel.
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Q: If we grow crops for biofuels, won’t this lead to food shortages?
The amount of bioethanol needed to include 5% bioethanol in all UK petrol could be made by using the existing wheat and sugar crop surplus grown in the UK today. At this level of inclusion, there would be no need to use any additional land to grow crops and no need to remove any crops from current food production.
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Q: I have read in a number of places that bioethanol takes more energy to produce than the energy it contains – is this true?
Some older studies conducted in the USA suggested that this was the case. More recent studies, including one conducted by Imperial College ???, have revealed that with modern production technologies the energy contained in bioethanol is roughly twice the energy used to manufacture it.
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Q: Don’t the production facilities needed for bioethanol production have a negative impact on the environment themselves?
Many bioethanol production facilities are planned for “brownfield” sites, replacing existing closed down industry. All new planning applications for production plants are required to produce an environmental impact study ensuring no detrimental effects. Because there is no existing industry in the UK, all plants will be built using state-of-the-art technology, ensuring they are as efficient as they can be.
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Q: Isn’t it better to make bioethanol from wood or straw residues and wastes?
In the long term wood or straw may provide more economical feedstocks for ethanol production. With today’s production technologies and material costs, British Sugar feel that lignocellulosic manufacture of ethanol is not economically viable. If technologies develop and costs fall, it may be possible to move to these methods of manufacture in the future.
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Q: Why don’t we provide encouragement to developing countries by buying all our biofuels from the third world?
The global demand for biofuels will be huge. As crude oil runs out and the world moves to mitigate the effects of climate change, biofuel production will be needed the world over. Many developing countries are trying to develop their own biofuel programmes so that they can avoid the import of crude oil as their economies develop. In the future we envisage a global trade in biofuels in which the countries with the greatest biomass resource will lead. These include the continents of Africa, Central and South America.
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Q: A 55,000 tonne plant is quite small. Why isn’t British Sugar aiming to produce more bioethanol?
The size of our plant is determined by the amount of raw material that is readily available from our sugar factory at Wissington. Another contributing factor is the size of the current UK market for bioethanol. While the market is small, our factory represents a significant first step. As the market grows, for example, if the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation is introduced, then British Sugar will play a significant part in growing the supply base.
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Q: Don’t we need to modify our cars to use bioethanol?
Not at low blend levels. Any petrol car on the road in the UK today can run with 5% bioethanol included in the petrol without invalidating engine warranties. Most cars could run on levels of up to 20% inclusion if manufacturers would allow it. Engine modification is only needed when using high blends such as E85, 85% ethanol with 15% petrol. Both Ford and Saab manufacture vehicles which can run on these blends and in Sweden and Brazil these are proving more popular than the manufacturers conventional models. The beauty of these ‘flex-fuel’ cars is that they can run on any blend from 100% petrol to 85% ethanol so the driver can fill up with normal petrol if they are in an area where they can’t get hold of ethanol blends.
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Q: Isn’t it difficult to blend ethanol with conventional petrol?
Ethanol is blended with petrol in many countries around the world, including, USA, Brazil, Sweden, Canada, Australia, India and many others. Ethanol mixes well with petrol. Experienced oil companies, who ensure that the fuel meets the correct standard for the country where it is sold, usually carry out the blending or mixing. British Sugar intends to supply its bioethanol to oil companies in the UK. British Sugar does not recommend mixing your own bioethanol blends.
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Q: Why are British Sugar interested in producing bioethanol?
As the UK’s largest processor of arable crops, British Sugar are well placed to become a bioethanol manufacturer. Our 70 years of experience in sugar production mean that we have extensive experience of chemical engineering, agricultural development and supply chain management all of which are crucial in successful bioethanol production. Over the last 20 years we have invested around £1 billion in new technology which has been used both to improve our efficiency and energy usage and also to achieve the minimum possible impact on our environment. We believe that this experience and investment puts us in an ideal position to produce bioethanol at best cost and with the best possible environmental footprint.
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Q: With hydrogen technology developing fast, why bother to implement biofuels now?
The beauty of bioethanol is that it can be introduced right now, using existing vehicles and the existing fuel supply infrastructure. This means that we can benefit immediately from the emissions reductions offered by bioethanol. In the longer term, if the significant issues associated with hydrogen fuels, such as the supply infrastructure, can be overcome then bioethanol can be used in the manufacture of hydrogen for fuel. Bioethanol is therefore available right now and also valuable in the future.
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Q: With the efficiency of new cars improving all the time, do we really need to take any other action to reduce emissions?
Although the efficiency of cars is constantly improving, transport emissions are continuing to rise. The number of cars on the road is increasing as is the number of miles travelled by each car on the road and the improvements in car efficiency are not enough to halt the rise in transport emissions.
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Q: Is bioethanol the answer to all our transport emission problems?
Bioethanol can make a valuable and immediate contribution to the problem of transport emissions and their effect on climate change. However, bioethanol alone cannot solve the whole problem. We believe that the answer lies in a package of solutions which will include biofuels now, other alternative fuels in the future, hybrid and flexible cars with reduced emissions and sensible use of transport by all concerned.
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