However the publication thereof shall cease to be adjourned

Do you know that you have flowers in your tank "Arose the Diester mark, green diesel promoted by French farmers, at the last show of agriculture. Charming, the question feels good meadow, but behind the bucolic images of cars rolling with Daisy plays a less romantic battle. Whether they are born of oilseeds, as biodiesel that is mixed with diesel fuel, or they come from grains and sugar plants, such as ethanol with gasoline, "agrocarburants" are at the heart of a commercial and ideological fight in which the France threw herself body and soul, at its own risk.

All the actors in this new growing market looking forward to a study by the Environment Agency and mastery of energy (management Ademe) intended to introduce a bit of rationality between pro and the anti-biocarburants. However, the publication thereof shall cease to be adjourned. Expected in June, she does will be finally unveiled in September. And already, some whisper that need at least the summer to digest the results, so they minimize the environmental benefits of green fuels.

Because the interest of biofuels, only immediately available in transport renewable energy, based on their participation in the fight against the greenhouse effect. To ensure that they emit less CO2 than petroleum fuels, must check that they render more energy than their production consumes.

"Science sérieusementbidouillée."

"We examined 120 studies analysis of the life cycle of biofuels". None gives the same results, some even concluding that they emit more CO2, said Jean-Claude Office, Inra. Moreover, the results vary according to the sponsors of the studies, is in serious bidouillée science. ""Believe me, I have 400 analyses of this type in my Cabinet, and in the worst case, biodiesel is still a gain of 40 of CO2 from fossil diesel"reply Raffaelo Garofalo, responsible for the lobby of the producers of biodiesel in Brussels. It all depends on plants, culture and methods of the sensitive issue raised by the "changes in the allocation of land". Clearly, if to satisfy the appetite of fuel green, it should be "déforester", the carbon becomes disastrous! But where pushing this reasoning If the France devoted the bulk of its rapeseed to its engines and is therefore forced to import more Indonesian edible oil, can be held responsible for deforestation in this country

Harsh controversy, upon which depends the future of a new economic sector. Because, for the moment, no biofuel in the world, with the exception of ethanol from Brazilian sugar cane, is still competitive with oil. At least as long as the barrel does not exceed the threshold of the $ 80. And provided that the course of agricultural materials is wise... In France, the manufacture of a litre of biodiesel roughly two times more expensive than a litre of diesel from refining and one litre of ethanol once and a half more expensive.

Also, the growth of biofuels (see chart) would have never happened without proactive public policies and generous subsidies. According to a study of Global Subsidies Initiative, they turn around 15 billion dollars for the OECD countries! In France, the tax exemption applied to biofuels represented more profits of EUR 700 million in 2008 and should approach the billion in 2009-2010.

In 2003, when the adoption of a directive proposing a rate of incorporation of 5.75 by 2010, biofuels were trimmed of all the virtues: environmental; strategic, to escape from a complete dependence on oil; and especially social, to offer European farmers to new opportunities. Everything changed in 2007, with the escalation of prices of agricultural raw materials. The World Bank, IMF and FAO them were then accused of being at the origin of the speculative tension and is are alarmed to see land become the issue of a new competition to meet the needs of energy rich.

Sustainability criteria

It is in this context that the European Commission has maintained, in December 2008, in his plan to combat climate change, an obligation for each Member State to go to 10 of alternative fuels in transport by 2020. Just adding "sustainability criteria": biofuels should not come from sensitive natural environments and to reduce by at least 35 of CO2 emissions from a traditional fuel, rates will be increased to 50 in 2017.

Not, a priori, panic French agricultural circles, which are raised with their German colleagues to the leading European producers of biofuels. "Us coupons not the forest and our Diester renders between 3 and 5 times more renewable energy than fossil energy in its development," says Philippe Tillous-Bordes, CEO of Sofiproteol, major French and European biodiesel producer. Not so sure. Brussels, for its part, believes that these vegetable oils can save between 38 and 45 of CO2, a rate dangerously close to the 35! "The French producers, who use mainly rapeseed, do not reach the 35, provide an expert, but farm lobbies have obtained an amendment to the directive which allows plants already in operation in 2008 turn until 2013, regardless of their record CO2." Just enough to cushion the facilities...

Encouraged by a Government plan more ambitious the European directive, the French farming community developed the turbo, investing approximately EUR 2 billion for four years to build channels biodiesel and bioethanol. No fewer than a dozen factories from Earth over the past three years, to produce more than 2 million tons of agricultural diesel and 800,000 tonnes of green gasoline, to achieve a rate of incorporation of 7 in 2010! "In five years, we multiplied our capacity of production of ethanol by ten," explains Eric Laîné, General Confederation of sugar beet growers, who welcomes the launch in April, the E10 (10 ethanol in gasoline) fuel. His side, Sofiproteol, emanation of agricultural cooperatives of oilseeds, made low hand on the French market for biodiesel, investing not less than 600 million euros over three years to develop a half-dozen plants.

A dream threatened

We bet that if the Ademe displayed a less than 35 CO2 balance, Sofiproteol rirait yellow. "We have developed the industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the autonomy of European production in vegetable protein for livestock the dry material remaining after the extraction of oil is excellent for animals and substitute imports of us soybeans, said Philippe Tillous-Bordes." Hope that we do are not wrong. In any event, we have strong margins of progress, as any industry at startup. "At Ademe, it said in recalling that all renewable energies have improved their performance over time. Indirectly prepare disappointments "Want to incorporate 10 of biofuels, if car park grows and consumes more and more, it is a well without background and interest." "But if little by little, the fleet goes to 3 litres per 100 kilometres, the biofuels option keeps its virtues," explains Jean-Christophe Pouet, engineer at Ademe.

When you know that the France almost took first place in the European market of biofuels, which has already become a huge commercial battle field, we understand that farmers play big. In Brussels, they got to stand in the way American biodiesel, with major tariffs, while they protect the Brazilian ethanol by 40 rights! At Bercy, they bitterly negotiate their tax benefits and asked the State still maintained for five years, the time to solidify their new plants before only compete. "The Brazil has helped for thirty years its bioethanol producers, how release us against them without transition" asked Eric Laîné. If the environmental balance is wrong, it's all a dream that could collapse: to take 10 of the fuel market.