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EU's biofuels target could be amended amid concerns
Photo biodiesel
(BRUSSELS) - The European Union's ambitious target on using biofuels in cars could be amended in the face of concerns over rising food prices, the EU's Slovenian presidency said Thursday.
"There will be more analysis but we don't have any clear answers," Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa told a press conference after the first day of an EU summit in Brussels.
"I'm not excluding the possibility that we will have to revise or amend our goals," he said.
The 27-nation EU aims to ramp up its use of biofuels in coming years after the bloc's leaders set tough renewable energy targets last year.
They committed to increase the EU's renewable energy use by 20 percent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels, with biofuels to make up 10 percent of all transport fuels used by then.
However, since EU leaders fixed those targets in March last year, concerns have risen about possible negative effects from biofuels, including their impact on food prices and the environment.
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi was among those voicing doubts on Thursday, telling his fellow EU leaders of his concerns over the need to switch land currently producing food crops to growing biofuel crops such as colza.
Last week the UN agency in charge of alleviating world hunger warned the European Union that the fast-growing use of biofuels is driving up food prices for the world's poor.
"The shift to biofuels production has diverted lands out of the food chain," World Food Programme executive director Josette Sheeran told lawmakers at the European Parliament in Brussels.
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These have pointed out, inter alia, that eastern and central Europe and the CIS possess huge areas of territory, suitable either for grain production or for new biomass crops.
Greenfield Project Management's plan to flow 550mlpy from its plant in Belarus is an example of setting out to harness such resources. Here's an update:
Energy study is next step in Greenfield’s ethanol project
MINSK, 30 March 2008 — Greenfield Project Management today announced the start of a comprehensive energy system study for its proposed bioethanol plants at Mozyr and Bobruisk, to be carried out by the Swedish firm of consultants SEP Scandinavian Energy Project AB.
The company's chief executive officer, Michael Rietveld, told journalists in the Belarus capital that Greenfield will be investing at least €65 million into developing the projects in the course of 2008, having concluded a round of financing. “We’ve been delayed by the difficult conditions caused by the turmoil in Western financial markets,” said Mr Rietveld, “but we are now able to confirm a first tranche of financing to carry the projects forward this year.”
SEP engineers will travel to Belarus to gather information for a report to determine the best possibilities for the energy supply to the Mozyr and Bobruisk plants. SEP will submit its report to Greenfield about eight weeks after the field trip.
Later, an Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIS) will be carried out in conjunction with the Front End Engineering Design (FEED). The EIS will follow the European Investment Bank format for such studies. Both the energy study and the EIS will conform to the highest international standards.
The final stage of these preparatory steps, the Front End Engineering Design (FEED), will be undertaken by Greenfield's technology partners. This should be concluded in the third quarter of 2008, after which the project can proceed to EPC (engineering, procurement and construction).
To oversee the activity, a steering committee has been set up in Minsk co-chaired by the partners in the joint ventures, Greenfield and the two Belbiopharm subsidiaries, with expert personnel from both.
The criteria set out by Energy Charter (Europe) in respect of energy security and other matters will be observed by the Greenfield ventures.
SEP: power and energy experts
S.E.P. Scandinavian Energy Project AB is a true consulting company with several hundred years of accumulated experience within the power, pulp & paper, chemical and petrochemical industries. It is an independent, privately-owned company, composed of some of Scandinavia's most highly qualified energy and environmental specialists and process engineers. Most of SEP’s consultants have extensive practical experience with domestic and international energy projects, environmental projects, chemical and petrochemical production plants and pulp & paper factories.
S.E.P. has also built an external network of independent specialist resources which can be engaged for different assignments, so it can put together a team covering most requirements in respect to competence and manpower.
S.E.P. is an active member of the Thermal Engineering Research Institute (Värmeforsk) in Stockholm, Sweden and registered at the European Commission PHARE/TACIS Central Consultancy Register, No. SWE-20239.
S.E.P.’s prime business idea is to provide clients with leading edge expertise in the field of thermal energy conversion. The firm’s attitude is that one can not improve the energy situation without considering environmental issues; they are two sides of the same coin.
Links: http://greenfieldpartners.eu/news14
http://www.sep.se/