In early 2013, Marco Ghisolfi, Chief Executive Officer at the Mossi Ghisolfi Group (M&G), considered the financial projections for Beta Renewables, his firm’s biofuels joint venture. Having recently developed a more cost-efficient method for the production of a second-generation biofuel (cellulosic ethanol), the company was determined to find an economically viable way to bring this “carbon neutral”—and often government subsidized—product to the large-scale global marketplace. This case, which includes background on the biofuels industry as well as performance indicators for M&G's biofuels pilot project, asks students to consider the risks and returns associated with biofuels production.
Case ID: 140306
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