The EU should focus more on next-generation biofuels

Next-generation biofuels should play an important role in the European Union’s energy mix. Apart from the environmental benefits, they offer countries currently dependent on Russian gas the prospect of becoming energy independent, says Csaba Tabajdi MEP.

This makes it extremely important for the EU to invest in the development of second and third generations of biofuels, to overcome the current problem of food crops like wheat and sugar cane being diverted into fuel production, Tabajdi told Science|Business.

At the same time there needs to be greater research cooperation with the US to ensure the feedstock for more advanced fuels does not compete for land with food crops.

But at present Tabadji is not optimistic, saying “I see a slowdown in the development of next-generation biofuels. I was very sad to see that even in the US, because they are the pioneers in renewable energy R&D.”

At a Science|Business symposium in Brussels on 28 June, The Energy Technology Roadmap, the case of biofuels,Tabajdi pointed to the dangers of Europe’s reluctance to invest, calling for, “R&D [in sustainable biofuels to] receive much more funding in the next ten years.”

One key problem is the current high cost of the enzymes needed to break down cellulose and open the way for biomass that is unsuitable for human or animal consumption to be used for advanced biofuels, he said. “Without research and development, Europe will be defeated in global competition.”

Becoming energy independent

Tabajdi, an economist and former diplomat elected to the European Parliament in 2004, sits on the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development. He is also a member of the Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) governing panel, which advises members of the European Parliament on the impact of new technologies. Tabajdi belongs to the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and heads the Hungarian Socialist Delegation.

One advantage of advanced biofuels that tends to be overlooked is their potential to reduce Europe’s dependence on unstable foreign sources of oil, Tabajdi believes.  “I am from a country for which biofuels are extremely important because we have a very high level of dependence on Russian gas.” 

Biofuels provide a carbon neutral (not if you include fertilizer and land-use impacts in the life-cyle analysis of energy inputs for biofuels – suggest we say “an alternative to fossil fuels with lower life-cycle carbon emissions, but), cleaner alternative to fossil fuels, but there is a clear limit on the use of first-generation biofuels derived from sugar cane, maize and other crops, says Tabajdi.  Sustainable, second-generation biofuels are needed, based on grasses, plants, wood and waste residues that do not compete with food crops and can be grown on marginal land.

The limits to bioenergy

Scientists working on advanced biofuels must pioneer a whole life-cycle approach to the research and development of these new energy sources, analysing all energy inputs into new feedstocks and their total impact on the environment.

“We must have clearer and more reliable scientific research about the limits of bioenergy. What are the agricultural, ecological, economic and social limits of biofuels?” Tabajdi said. In thirty years time the most strategic products may be food and fresh water, instead of oil and gas, he said. “These issues are linked very closely, because 70 per cent of fresh water in the world is used by agriculture.”

This means that current attempts to improve energy efficiency need to go hand-in-hand with a focus on the efficient use of water, says Tabajdi, pointing to Israel as a role model for Europe. “Some months ago we [STOA] were together in Israel, and studied the water management policy of Israel, which is one of the most fascinating, best policies in the world. In this irrigation system, 75 per cent of water is being reused. In Europe, the highest percentage of reuse is 25 per cent, in Spain.”

Transatlantic cooperation

Tabajdi sees room for improvement in the transatlantic coordination of biofuel policy, but he says different targets are confusing the issue. “We have a percentage target in Europe, 20 per cent renewable energy, 10 per cent in transportation of biofuels. But the US has voluntary volume targets. It is very hard to compare, and it causes some trouble in the field of cooperation on renewable energy.”

During a recent visit to Washington DC, Tabajdi and fellow MEPs on the agricultural committee met counterparts in the US Senate to discuss collaboration on food and bioenergy policy. “We can solve the [issue of] global food demand in 10 to 20 years, but only together with the US. Closer cooperation in the field of food production, bioenergy production, is very desirable.”

When asked whether there will be a follow-up meeting with his American counterparts, Tabajdi said there seemed to be only “limited interest” in Congress for greater scientific cooperation between the US and Europe, and limited awareness about the EU’s energy goals and policy.

But it is not only American politicians who are uninformed about EU energy policy, says Tabajdi, “There is a scarcity of knowledge among the members of the European Parliament. The complexity of renewable energies is a key issue […] The European Union should clarify its new energy policy, its new energy vision and new energy concept.”  Predictability and long-term thinking are vital, he said.