Page 76 - Biorefinery 2030 Future Prospects for the Bioeconomy (2015)

44 2 An Original Business Model: The Integrated Biorefinery

Fig. 2.12 World cereal production and consumption (Source: http://www.fao.org/
worldfoodsituation/csdb/fr/)

2.2 Endogenous Factors

The previous section described changes in regulations and the market that affect all
agricultural cooperatives. Now we turn to the endogenous factors that have affected
the Bazancourt-Pomacle Biorefinery. We discuss two key points: the failures it has
experienced and the lessons it has learnt from these failures; and problems linked to
the heavy investment load that it has had to bear in order to develop.

2.2.1 Trial and Error: Example of the Launch of CHAMTOR and Its
Implications 30,31
Fortunately, the Bazancourt-Pomacle site has experienced more successes than
failures during its development. However, it would be unwise to ignore the failures.
Failures can be considered a good thing, in that they can point us in a different
direction, towards success. We will attempt to illustrate this through the example of
the launch of CHAMTOR.
The CHAMTOR plant was built in 1992 on former agricultural land in the
commune of Bazancourt, opposite the sugar factory.
The factory’s launch was instigated by several personalities who strongly
influenced rural life in Champagne-Ardenne, Jacques de Bohan, Alain Delaunoy
and Georges Mangeart. Their idea was to have a site to process their produce within
the region and to create value added for the agricultural sector by transforming
chicory and wheat into sugars: inulin and glucose for the production of blended
products for the food industry. They also hoped to obtain inulin quotas that were, at
that time, negotiated at European level.

30
Source: Interviews with the main players on the site.
31
Source: http://www.siclae.com/actualites/CHAMTOR-20-ans-histoire-futur-construire