Title:
Can Resource Competition Encourage Market Development? A Case Study on the Development of a Corn Stover Market in Flanders
Author(s):
Mertens, A., Van Meensel, J., Willem, L., Buysse, J.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
Corn stover gains attention as a valuable biomass resource for the bio-economy. However, today, the corn stover is hardly harvested and a market is yet to be developed. Hence, potential investors in processing plants face large investment risks, as they are not sure sufficient corn stover will be available for their activities, nor what the corn stover prices may be. With the help of an agent-based model, we investigated whether competition for corn stover between one large scale centralized cellulosic sugar production plant and multiple decentralized small scale biogas plants could encourage the emergence of a corn stover value chain in Flanders. This papers details the results of simulations for three scenarios. We found that competition lowers the volumes of corn stover that can be acquired by the cellulosic sugar production plant and increases the corn stover prices. However, we also found that competition increases the involvement of the corn stover suppliers and allows for an easier emergence of the corn stover value chain. Our findings provide crucial insights, allowing potential stakeholders in the corn stover value chain to better understand how this value chain could develop under different circumstances.
Keywords:
corn, economic aspects, modelling, lignocellulosic sources, market, supply chains
Topic:
Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability
Subtopic:
Market implementation, investments & financing
Event:
24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4AV.1.4
Pages:
1431 - 1440
ISBN:
978-88-89407-165
Paper DOI:
10.5071/24thEUBCE2016-4AV.1.4
Price:
FREE
