Preem in Lysekil has received 3 billion in so-called green credits from the state to switch from an oil refinery to producing renewable biofuels. Biofuels are produced from, for example, slaughter waste, rapeseed and wood residues.
– I am convinced that what we are doing here is right, that we should replace fossil fuels with renewables, says Mattias Backman, project finance manager at Preem.
Criticism from the environmental movement
But sharp criticism comes from parts of the environmental movement, including Greenpeace and Fridays for Future. Among other things, because biofuel emits at least as much carbon dioxide as ordinary petrol and diesel when it is burned in our cars. But that carbon dioxide is not visible when the greenhouse gases are reported to the UN.
In climate negotiations, the UN and the EU have agreed to offset emissions from, among other things, biofuels against absorption of carbon dioxide in nature, above all by forests in so-called carbon sinks.
– The awareness that biofuels are greenwashing and a false climate solution has definitely increased. If you burn biofuels, there will be emissions of greenhouse gases, just like when you burn fossil fuels, says Anton Foley at Aurora, a group of over 600 young people who on Tuesday got the go-ahead to try their lawsuit against the state for insufficient action in the climate crisis.
– And then they come up with stories that it would be renewable, stories that we would have decades or centuries to reduce our emissions – but we are in a crisis. Emissions must be reduced now, he continues.
“Major climate damage”
Criticism also comes from researchers:
– I see that a greatly increased use of biofuels will inevitably lead to major environmental and climate damage, says Stefan Wirsenius, docent in environment and resource analysis at Chalmers in Gothenburg.
SVT has applied for Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L).