We were approached by the Company President of a U.S. firm who were proposing to builid a biodiesel plant in North America, although the exact location and production process had not yet been decided (eg whether to use centrifuges in the process or not). Along with the biodiesel plant, there was also a proposal to build an associated mill to crush rape seed and produce rape seed (or canola) oil. This oil would then be used as the feedstock for the biodiesel plant.
The economic viability of the project was based on supplying biodiesel (and possibly any excess canola oil) to the US and Canadian markets. However, as part of the overall project analysis, a review of possible export opportunities to the EU market was also considered necessary. If this was viable, it may have effected the location of the plant to facilitate transport links.
BDRI Ltd were asked to investigate the size and growth of the overall EU biodiesel market including:
size of the EU market compared to the World market
current EU biodiesel demand, drivers and forecast growth trends
current EU production capacity and forecast growth trends
what production technologies are used
overall feedstock supply
any EU issues which may affect the future
As a result of this initial investigation, the research was then focused on Germany and the UK. Please see the following case study for more information.
Having defined the objectives, the first part was to conduct desk research (sometimes called secondary research). This was principally conducted through the internet, although the local council library and University libraries also provided additional sources of information.
Government sources of information were searched for relevant information. These sources included:
Office of National Statistics website eg www.statistics.gov.uk
UK Government Departments websites eg www.defra.gov.uk
Similar Government websites from other countries eg US, Germany etc eg www.usda.gov
European Union websites eg ec.europa.eu/eurostat
News media sources such as the BBC, Financial Times and the Economist were consulted, as were professional bodies and trade associations linked to the subjects. Other companies and competitors supplying into the market were also investigated.
Reports published by other research firms, management consultancies and academic institutions were reviewed, although care was taken to cross reference and substantiate any figures, where possible. Sources included:
Research firms – Mintel, Keynote, Datamonitor, Forrester etc
Other national and international bodies within the industry
Other independent bodies
The report collated this secondary information and presented conclusions and recommendations for further action. An abbreviated copy of the report (edited to remove information restricted by confidentiality agreements) is below.
Researching a Global Business Market
We were approached by the Company President of a U.S. firm who were proposing to builid a biodiesel plant in North America, although the exact location and production process had not yet been decided (eg whether to use centrifuges in the process or not). Along with the biodiesel plant, there was also a proposal to build an associated mill to crush rape seed and produce rape seed (or canola) oil. This oil would then be used as the feedstock for the biodiesel plant.
The economic viability of the project was based on supplying biodiesel (and possibly any excess canola oil) to the US and Canadian markets. However, as part of the overall project analysis, a review of possible export opportunities to the EU market was also considered necessary. If this was viable, it may have effected the location of the plant to facilitate transport links.
BDRI Ltd were asked to investigate the size and growth of the overall EU biodiesel market including:
As a result of this initial investigation, the research was then focused on Germany and the UK. Please see the following case study for more information.
Having defined the objectives, the first part was to conduct desk research (sometimes called secondary research). This was principally conducted through the internet, although the local council library and University libraries also provided additional sources of information.
Government sources of information were searched for relevant information. These sources included:
News media sources such as the BBC, Financial Times and the Economist were consulted, as were professional bodies and trade associations linked to the subjects. Other companies and competitors supplying into the market were also investigated.
Reports published by other research firms, management consultancies and academic institutions were reviewed, although care was taken to cross reference and substantiate any figures, where possible. Sources included:
The report collated this secondary information and presented conclusions and recommendations for further action. An abbreviated copy of the report (edited to remove information restricted by confidentiality agreements) is below.
EU Biodiesel Market and Production
The (understated) response of the Company President was:
Understated perhaps, as the final report (including both this overall analysis and the Germany and UK focus) was almost 100 pages!