Recent claims about the potential of UK land to support significant biofuels production for transport are bold, if not surprising. British renewable energy policy appears to be focussed on electricity production, at the expense of the heat and transport sectors. However there are environmental and strategic reasons for reducing the carbon intensity of UK road transport. This paper reviews past and recent studies of the feasibility of liquid biofuels production in Britain. Many earlier studies may have underestimated this potential, and the policy context has shifted significantly, but it would still be difficult to meet current UK gasoline needs from arable and set-aside land. In conclusion, a realistic short-term goal may be 2–3% of UK transport fuel needs from domestic resources by 2010.
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