Business Models for phytoremediation-to-biofuel transformation ecosystems: A Stakeholder-Supply Chain Nexus approach

The increased adoption of advanced biofuels is a crucial challenge to be met to decarbonize the emissions-intensive transport sector and simultaneously to prevent the occupation of croplands from being used for biofuel instead of food and feed production. The diversification of biomass sources is an indispensable strategy to enhance supply security and to assure the balanced and viable operation of bioeconomy supply chains. To promote advanced biofuels, low iLUC feedstock sources are necessary, such as the cultivation of suitable plants on degraded, contaminated and marginal lands proven to be significantly underexploited. The present study considers the case of biofuel production based on biomass grown in contaminated lands after applying phytoremediation techniques. The corresponding bioenergy value chains present specificities on technological and cost dimensions while including multiple stakeholders which act, interact, cooperate and deploy business strategies along the bioenergy ecosystem. Business modeling is applied to perform a comprehensive study and assessment of the phytoremediation-to-biofuel production systems by using the Business Model Canvas framework. Within a pool of stakeholders investigated, a typical agricultural cooperative and a typical biofuel producer are identified as highly prioritized actors for which different business model scenarios are constructed based on the reasonable physical extent of each stakeholder’s activity involvement in the biomass-to-biofuel supply chain. The development of these tailored business models indicates the opportunities each interested entity has to create and capture value by exploiting products, intermediate products and/or by-products and building partnerships depending on the technology and its respective boundaries of action.