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Biofuel production in the EU is a cost effective way to tackle climate change, but requires clear and consistent policy support to flourish. Since its formation in 2006 Ensus has provided fact-based evidence to UK Government biofuels consultations and policy reviews.
“One of the more surprising conclusions of the Gallagher review was that [second generation] biofuels do not always have a clear advantage over first generation biofuels, particularly when land use change is taken into account.
First generation biofuels often produce co-products that can be used as a protein substitute for animal feed—as will happen at the Ensus plant in the north-east, for example. When such use is made of co-products, the impact on land use change can be minimised. On the Ensus site, the production process has very substantial direct greenhouse gas savings from well to wheel.”
The following documents were prepared by Ensus as inputs to government and NGO review processes:
February 2011
Evidence provided to the EU’s indirect land use change consultation concerning how changes in protein supply are accounted for in ILUC models.
November 2010
Evidence provided to the EU’s indirect land use change consultation concerning application of existing economic modelling tools to the evaluation of the land use change impacts of biofuel production.
February 2010
'Low carbon meat' - This white paper focuses on the carbon footprint of the meat supply chain and how biorefining cereal crops can make a major impact on this. The surprising conclusion is that greenhouse gas (GHG) savings from using animal feed from our biorefinery could be as large as savings from our biofuel (~70% of petrol’s GHG emissions).
The meat supply chain accounts for about a fifth of global GHG emissions. A significant proportion of this comes from land use changes caused by growing crops to feed animals. Using the animal feed (DDGS) from our refining process in place of other high protein feed ingredients can help reduce these emissions. If the meat supply chain benefits are factored into Ensus’ greenhouse gas savings, the combined saving with our biofuel is around 1.5 times (150%) the avoided emissions in petrol. Since DDGS is sold into the animal feed market in competition with other animal feeds and with no incentives, these climate change benefits are provided at no cost to the consumer.
December 2008
Evidence provided to the RFA's Consultation on the Draft RTFO Amendment Order 2009
September 2008
‘Tackling climate change’ - Ensus white paper describing how bio-refining crops can make better use of land to meet our needs for food and low carbon biofuels
August 2008
Evidence provided to the UK government’s BERR renewable energy strategy consultation.
April 2008
Evidence provided to the RFA as part of the UK government’s Gallagher review published in July 2008
April 2008
‘The right biofuel, the right way’ - Ensus’ presentation to the RFA, covering the same areas detailed in the submitted text of our evidence.
August 2007
Evidence provided to the Royal Society review ‘Sustainable biofuels: prospects and challenges’ published in January 2008.
Adobe Acrobat
Reports are provided as Acrobat PDF files. To download the fress Adobe Acrobat reader please click on the following link.
