Malta falls short of EU biofuels target

A European Commission document shows that Malta's target for the use of biofuels instead of petrol and diesel for the current year is not in line with EU law.

According to the document, Malta has set a target of 0.3 per cent for 2005. However, EU legislation requires that an increasing proportion of all diesel and petrol sold in the member states be biofuels, starting with two per cent in 2005 and progressively increasing so as to reach a minimum of 5.75 per cent of fuels sold by 2010.

The Commission document says that "some member states have set targets for the market share of biofuels in 2005 that are less than the two per cent reference value laid down in the directive".

In view of this information, the Commission is examining whether these member states have given adequate reasons for their shortfalls. These countries can be faced with infringement procedures.

Malta, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and the UK all set targets lower than the two per cent required by the EU directive.

In it first annual report submitted to the Commission as required by the directive, the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure, which is responsible for this sector, explained that Malta's case is different to other EU countries, due to particular reasons.

The ministry explains that "Malta is a country with negligible potential in biofuels from agriculture. The limited freshwater resources (50 per cent of potable water is supplied from desalination), high population density and poor soil fertility contribute to these factors."

On the other hand, the ministry's report states that Malta is totally dependent on imported fuel for all of its energy requirements and that "this factor is a strong motive to find means to increase fuel diversity as well as to use renewable and indigenous energy sources." However, the ministry acknowledges that, to date, few studies have been carried out in Malta on the potential for biofuels.

The ministry quotes the only study conducted so far on the subject by the Joint Research Centre (Institute for Prospective Technological Studies) dated 2003, which notes that Malta has no potential for production of either feedstock for biodiesel (rapeseed or sunflower) or feedstock for bioethanol (wheat, sugar beet, maize or potatoes). The study stated that "the country has a rather small territory and differs with almost complete food import dependence. No agriculture-based production potential can be expected".

With regards to measures taken by the Maltese authorities to promote the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels to replace diesel or petrol for transport purposes, the government's report states that during 2003 very few measures were taken.

"Malta decided to proceed with testing the use of 100 per cent biodiesel on its heavy plant. The biodiesel was produced from waste oil and the results are still being evaluated. It should be pointed out that difficulties in operation have been met. No further measures have been taken, to date, to promote the use of biofuels."

The only biofuels used in Malta during 2003 consisted of biodiesel produced by a local company from waste industrial oil. This was utilised only by the government and amounted to only 0.02 per cent of all fuel used for transport.

According to the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure, Malta is keen to exploit its potential biomass availability. This is particularly in view of the total dependence on imported fuels and the environmental benefits of renewable energy sources, including biofuel.

"This is, however, unfortunately linked to the bio-degradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste. Commission reports, in fact, clearly show this. Noting that biofuels can be used more cost-effectively elsewhere, other than transport, and that difficulties are being experienced with regard to the vehicles driven by biodiesel, Malta is exerting caution in setting realistic interim targets. Biofuels are in fact being used cost-effectively."

According to the Commission, biofuels have an important role to play in European transport and energy policy because they are among only a few options available for replacing petrol and diesel as transport fuels. They tackle climate change by avoiding emissions of greenhouse gases and reducing dependence on oil imports.

Biofuels are combustible fuels which can be used instead or in a mixture with conventional fuel and which are obtained by processing or fermenting non-fossil biological sources such as plant oils, sugar beet, cereals and other crops and organic waste material. They include biodiesel made from oil seeds and used cooking oil, bioethanol made from grain and sugar crops and biogas made from landfill gas and farm waste.