Why?
EU Directive
set indicative standards that 2% of the
energy content of liquid fuels for transport are to be from biofuels by the end of 2005, and 5.75% by
2010.
Detail
- Current
size of market for liquid biofuels
in Northern Ireland established.
- Calculated the quantity of wheat, oilseed rape
and potatoes Northern Ireland farmers would need to grow to meet the governments UK implementation plan
of the EU Directive (0.3%, 2% and 5% by the end of 2005,2010 and 2020 respectively).
Result
- Meeting
the transport fuel obligations set by the EU and the UK Government would create a significant market
for bioethanol and biodiesel in Northern Ireland.
- Growing biofuel crops on the
3,500 ha of land set-aside in Northern Ireland would provide a way of initiating the adoption of biofuel
cropping without significantly changing the current arable cropping pattern.
- May
not be feasible to fully meet the targets from crops grown in Northern Ireland but moving part of the
way towards this goal could allow for significant benefits to be achieved.
- Opportunities
to develop biofuel and industrial crops in Northern Ireland should not be missed.
