ONE HECTARE of wheat can provide enough bioethanol to drive a car once round the globe, saving up to 60% on carbon emissions compared with petrol.

That the first of several findings from an HGCA-backed British Biogen project, whose aim is a carbon-accredited forecourt marque for bioethanol produced from UK wheat.

The project is part of the proposed Bioethanol Accreditation Scheme intended to improve trust and confidence in the fuel, explains BB’s Peter Billins.

“There’s a lot of scepticism among government and industry experts about the carbon credentials of bioethanol.

“What we want is a bulletproof accreditation system that brings together our methodology and theirs.” For BAS that starts with establishing an environmental footprint for wheat, he explains.

The HGCA has commissioned CSL to help do this by studying the use of pesticides and fertilisers and defining the environmental credentials of growing the crop.