|
PUBLICATION EASTERN DAILY PRESS MARCH 17 2006-04-20 HEADLINE; BROWN KEY TO HOPES FOR BIOFUELS East Anglia’s ambition to become the ` green` oilfield of Britain rest on Chancellor Gordon Browns Budget
That is the view of Baroness Shepherd, who said yesterday that the biofuels industry – which has potential to produce vast quantities of renewable transport fuels from arable crops – needs a strong signal from Number 11 Downing Street. Delegate expresses concern at the third annual Biofuels Forum over the potential for growth of a home-grown biofuels industry. Former agriculture minister Lady Shepherd called upon the Chancellor to back such an industry. She was speaking the day after the national launch by Morrisons of the country’s first bio ethanol fuel pump at its Norwich store.
“The Budget will give the Government the last chance to demonstrate that it means what it has been saying for the last eight years,” She said 2 If there is no clear and concrete signal that the Government means to encourage manufacturers and users of British biofuels then we shall have to take firm political action and call ministers to account. “If we don’t get action, then we shall have to mobilise the entire region including consumers and manufacturers” added the former South West Norfolk MP, who welcomed the decision by British Sugar to invest £20m in a refinery at Wissington beet sugar factory to produce bio ethanol.
However delegates also heard from marketing director Richard Parker of Renewable East, that many other potential investors in the biofuels industry were sitting on the sidelines because of the uncertainty.
Lady Shepherd who is chairwoman of the all party forum including the county’s MP`s, said Mr Brown must confirm the promised 20p a litre rebate on biofuels as a first stage. She also emphasised the need for a firm and clear policy for the so called Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, which would require all petrol and diesel transport fuels toinclude biofuels. Under European Union rules, Britain must include at least5.75 pc of biofuels in road transport fuel by 2010. However as the rules stand there is no requirement for the bio diesel – produced from oil seed rape crops – or bioethanol from sugar beet or wheat in to be produced in Britain.
Lady Shepherd said there was growing concern about fuel security and the consequences of climate change in the community at large. The opportunity to grow fuel crops on the regions farm s and to produce green petrol and diesel would be supported by consumers, she said “In the end it is going to be persuading everyone and that includes the government, of the difference between the future of the planet and various strategic and short term and perhaps economic difficulties.
“We shall keep our region in the forefront of important developments in this field simply because it is made for the job in terms of the importance for agriculture.
|
