SOY AND corn will soon be cultivated in Cyprus specifically for biodiesel use, according to a Commerce Ministry announcement yesterday, although members of the Green Party are concerned that such cultivation will lead to a dangerous proliferation of genetically modified crops throughout Cyprus.
Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel produced from domestic renewable resources that contains no petroleum but can be blended with petroleum diesel. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little to no modifications.
During yesterday’s meeting between the Ministry and the Green Party, Commerce Minister George Lillikas said that specific plans to increase the supplies of biodiesel and to promote electric and hybrid cards in Cyprus will be announced in early October, with the legislative framework to be in place by the end of the month, when it will then go to Parliament.
Lillikas said that the Ministry has put aside £2.5 million towards alternative energy sources, adding that the measures to increase the number of hybrid and electric cars on the island are part of the comprehensive energy packet that he has already submitted to the Minister of Finance.
Energy Officer George Roditis told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that the main ways of promoting biodiesel in Cyprus would be by cultivating energy crops (soy, corn, cotton) and by using leftovers such as cooking oils used in hotels and restaurants or the olive pulp that remains after making olive oil.
Roditis said that the technology to convert used oils into biodiesel “is not difficult and the technology exists [in Cyprus]”, although he added that it does depend on the quality of the used oil.
“According to EU law, we are allowed to make a blend of up to five per cent biofuel and these can be purchased and used without problems by any cars on the market.” The energy officer also said that the government would be giving a £1000 subsidy for anyone buying an electric car or a hybrid.
Roditis said that only certain types of cars known as flexible fuel vehicles or alternative motor fuel vehicles can accept pure biodiesel. “But there are some cars on the market which, because of their construction, can accept higher quantities of biofuel. One would have to check with the car manufacturer to see what that particular car accepts.”
When asked to respond to concerns that energy crop cultivation would consist of genetically modified plants, Roditis said that it would not be possible because such plants are illegal in Cyprus.
Roditis cited the warm climate in Cyprus as one of the advantages for using biodiesel on the island since biodiesel congeals at freezing temperatures. “The downside is that we have limited land and so any energy crop cultivation would be competing with food crops. Also, we don’t have the necessary quantities of water.”
Quality Assurance Manager for McDonald’s in Cyprus, Chrissoulla Rossidou confirmed that a businessman who is licensed by the EU already collects used cooking oils from the various McDonald’s branches throughout the island.
“When we first opened eight years ago, we gave the oil away to farmers who would use it for animal feed”, Rossidou said. “Then that was made illegal and we gave it to companies to make soap. But now we’re trying to do something for the environment so we give it to this man, who converts it over to biodiesel.”
Green Party volunteer Pantelis Metaxas said that there were few electrical cars in Cyprus. But for four years he drove on biodiesel, purchasing the fuel from a station in Limassol. “During that time I never had to take it to a mechanic. The car was mechanically in a better condition because I was using biodiesel. And the biodiesel was a little cheaper than regular diesel.”
Though Metaxas supports biodiesel, he was troubled over the government’s announcement that it planned to cultivate energy crops. “Unfortunately, it’s very difficult and almost impossible to get seeds that are not genetically modified. We don’t believe that we will find seeds that are not GM. And as ecologists we are very concerned about such an anti-ecological intervention in nature.”
Metaxas also expressed scepticism at the government’s proclamation that they were committed to alternative energies since, in his experience, the government has proved it is more interested in serving private interests rather than public ones.
“For years we have been pushing for a public transport system, which would reduce the huge fuel imports and pollution and lessen the depletion in the ozone, which is already at dangerous levels in Cyprus. For a small island with a sea around us, we are facing severe pollution problems that we should not have. And this has happened because there are certain interests being served.”
Kyriaki Panteli, also a Green Party member and a member of the team on Genetically Modified Organisms, said that there were plenty of options to expand biodiesel supplies besides growing soy and corn crops. “For example, we can use the pulp of olives that remain after the oil is removed. They often give it away for free because they don’t know what to do with it.”
“Many plants that are imported from countries where genetic modification are illegal have been found, after analysis, to contain a small amount of genetic contamination”, Panteli said.
“So we can’t be sure, even if plants do come from such countries, that there won’t be a small amount of contamination.”
Panteli said that it takes 16 years before a field that has been contaminated with genetically modified crop to return to its uncontaminated state.