Bioport. Netherlands as a mainport for biomass

Logistic and processing facilities will continue to play an important role in the energy supply of our country and the inland regions supplied by the port of Rotterdam, such as the Ruhrgebiet in Germany. The ambition to keep the main port in position and expand it continues to be important. Biomass as a carrier of energy offers opportunities to support the energy port and therefore the question to be answered is how do we develop a Bioport that is one of the new basic pillars of the mainport? In this report we focus at the processing of biomass to fuels, raw materials for chemical processes and fuel for electricity and heat plants. On a global level we strive to improve the competitive position of biomass compared to oil by minimising the cost within the individual biomass chain. The breakthrough that the Bio Port concept is aiming for is not to focus on reinforcing and/or optimising within chains (for example energy, chemistry), but on forming clusters and therefore promote linking and entwining of different chains. The most important difference in the approach is the fact that cost reduction is the focus within the chain, while the cluster is primarily aiming at value creation. The cost minimisation in the traditional chain approach is reached by fine tuning the different steps within the chain. In most cases just one dominant player determines the cost development in the chain and in doing this also determines the revenue of parties with interests in the chains. Most of the present studies into the application of biomass are based on this optimisation of the chain, with the cost price per unit of energy as the key issue. The result is that processing eventually takes place at the marginal costs and revenues. The cluster approach on the other hand strives for the linking of activities and thus creating added value. The challenge to Bioport is to change the existing trend of cost minimisation within the biomass chains to creating value by linking different chains. The paradigm shift we aim for in Bioport is to turn around the traditional way of development: network node-clusters-chains-individual activities in stead of individual activities-chains-clusters-network node. The process to form a Bioport does not only consists of making blue prints for the lay out of a complex and co-operation between parties within this lay out. It is more important to look at the path of transition in order to achieve a Bioport. The Bioport will have to be the breeding ground for the development of new knowledge, especially for new companies that develop innovative products, applications and services in combination with large-scale biomass usage by conglomerates.