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Investing in Biogas: Timing, Technological Choice and the Value of Flexibility from Inputs Mix

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  • Luca Di Corato
  • Michele Moretto

Abstract

In a continuous-time framework we study the technology and investment choice problem of a continuous co-digestion biogas plant dealing with randomly fluctuating relative convenience of input factor costs. Input factors enter into the productive process together mixed according to a given initial rule. Being inputs relative convenience stochastically evolving, a successive revision of the initial rule may be desirable. Hence, when the venture starts the manager may or may not install a flexible technology allowing for such option. Investment is irreversible and flexibility is costly. The problem is solved determining in the light of future prospects the optimal revision and then playing backward fixing the investment timing rule.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Di Corato & Michele Moretto, 2009. "Investing in Biogas: Timing, Technological Choice and the Value of Flexibility from Inputs Mix," CESifo Working Paper Series 2729, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_2729
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    Cited by:

    1. Di Corato, Luca & Moretto, Michele, 2011. "Investing in biogas: Timing, technological choice and the value of flexibility from input mix," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1186-1193.
    2. Ayman Awad & Hussein Abdel-Mawgoud & Salah Kamel & Abdalla A. Ibrahim & Francisco Jurado, 2021. "Developing a Hybrid Optimization Algorithm for Optimal Allocation of Renewable DGs in Distribution Network," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-15, May.
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    5. Di Corato, Luca & Montinari, Natalia, 2014. "Flexible waste management under uncertainty," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 234(1), pages 174-185.
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    7. Kuangyuan Zhang & Richard Olawoyin & Antonio Nieto & Andrew N. Kleit, 2018. "Risk of commodity price, production cost and time to build in resource economics," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 2521-2544, December.
    8. Carrosio, Giovanni, 2013. "Energy production from biogas in the Italian countryside: Policies and organizational models," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 3-9.
    9. Andreas Welling, 2017. "Green Finance: Recent developments, characteristics and important actors," FEMM Working Papers 170002, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Faculty of Economics and Management.
    10. Kozlova, Mariia, 2017. "Real option valuation in renewable energy literature: Research focus, trends and design," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 180-196.
    11. Balibrea-Iniesta, José & Rodríguez-Monroy, Carlos & Núñez-Guerrero, Yilsy María, 2021. "Economic analysis of the German regulation for electrical generation projects from biogas applying the theory of real options," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    12. Fabio Bartolini & Luciana G. Angelini & Gianluca Brunori & Oriana Gava, 2015. "Impacts of the CAP 2014–2020 on the Agroenergy Sector in Tuscany, Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-22, February.
    13. Ye Li & Clemens Kool & Peter-Jan Engelen, 2020. "Analyzing the Business Case for Hydrogen-Fuel Infrastructure Investments with Endogenous Demand in The Netherlands: A Real Options Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-22, July.
    14. Briest, Gordon & Lauven, Lars-Peter & Kupfer, Stefan & Lukas, Elmar, 2022. "Leaving well-worn paths: Reversal of the investment-uncertainty relationship and flexible biogas plant operation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 300(3), pages 1162-1176.
    15. Wittmann, Nadine & Yildiz, Özgür, 2013. "A microeconomic analysis of decentralized small scale biomass based CHP plants—The case of Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 123-129.
    16. Alessio Trivella & Selvaprabu Nadarajah & Stein-Erik Fleten & Denis Mazieres & David Pisinger, 2021. "Managing Shutdown Decisions in Merchant Commodity and Energy Production: A Social Commerce Perspective," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 311-330, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    factor proportions; technological choice; flexibility; real options; alternative energy source;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources

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