EU demand for crop-based biofuels to flatline to 2050: MEP

European demand for biofuels from crops such as rapeseed, soy and corn will flatline despite biofuel's share of overall fuel demand rising, according to a leading European parliamentarian.

Green MEP Bas Eickhout told the Fuels of the Future conference in Berlin Monday that, even though legislation had not yet been agreed to limit their use until 2030, the message to first generation biofuels producers was clear:

“Growth for food based crop is hardly there. Policymakers want to make the transition to waste-based biofuels,” he told the conference.

European institutions are currently debating the EU’s 2030 renewable energy target which could rise from 20% of total energy demand by 2020 to between 27-35% by 2030.

However, the two key institutions are at odds on how to meet this target and what percentage should come from biofuels.

The Parliament last week voted to cap the use of crop-based biofuels at 2017 levels - thought to be around 3.5-4% of total road transport fuels - from 2020-2030.

However, the Council is seeking to place a higher cap of 7%.

Regardless, Eickhout said the writing was on the wall for crop-based biofuels despite some of them proving they cut emissions versus fossil fuel.

"There will be a cap. The political direction now will be what the level of that cap will be," he said.

Both institutions are seeking an overall target of biofuel use of between 12-14% of total fuel use, meaning second generation biofuels will be the winner from any change in policy.

The move has angered biofuel producers, who claim the fact that the environmental benefits of ethanol as a fuel – which boosts vehicle efficiency because it is an octane enhancer – have not been taken into account and the EU is treating all crop-based fuels the same.

They also claim that capping crop-based biofuel use will boost imports of feed and hurt European farmers.

Stephan Arens, of the Union for the Promotion of Oilseeds, said: “Staying with rapeseed oil, there is a press residue that is fodder. This is a genetically unmodified protein source. If this is limited then there will be more GM products imported from the US. That is despite the European Parliament calling for a local protein strategy."

The policy is expected to be agreed in November.