Feasibility studies and business modelling

If you’re considering investing in or developing a resource recovery venture, we can help you understand and assess both the technical and commercial aspects of the operation.

Feasibility studies, modelling and business planning

Feasibility studies for circular economy ventures

An Axion feasibility study gives you a solid base from which to decide on next steps with a new circular economy venture. Reports are practical, informative and realistic. Alongside technical appraisals, we can include market analysis and market research, recycleability assessments, profitability modelling and materials flow modelling.

Resource recovery profitability modelling

Our rigorous economic, mass and energy balance modelling enables you to establish the limits within which a resource recovery process or plant will be economically viable, and what profits you can expect.

We’ve created effective models for a wide range of applications, from waste plastics pyrolysis to recovering platinum group metals from fuel cells.

  • Economic models combine capital and operating costs with materials sales and purchase prices.
  • Mass balance models provide comparisons between the mass of the material going in to a process and that coming out.
  • Energy balance models consider energy inputs and outputs.

All models are tailor-made and flexible, allowing you to explore different scenarios and see what happens to profitability when you vary key figures in the calculations.

Materials flow modelling

Materials flow modelling is essential for anyone considering investing in processing or transportation infrastructure for any type of waste material. Models show how materials flow through both primary and secondary supply chains, and give you reality-based estimates of quantities of material arising at different locations. With this data, you can make informed decisions about processing locations or transport routes.

We can also model future waste arisings and materials flows, using statistical methods combining historical data and product lifetimes.

Circular economy business planning

We can work with you to put together a comprehensive investor-ready plan that gives your idea the best chance of success and helps attract external investment or funding.

With sector margins tight, legal requirements strict, and behaviour change a challenge, there’s a huge amount to consider when developing a business plan for a circular economy venture. If you’re just starting out with a plan, we’ll advise on what you need to include and provide expert input where necessary. If you’ve already drafted a plan, let us take a look. We’ll highlight any potential concerns so you can address them before taking next steps.

Due diligence in the resource recovery sector

Our experts can provide technical, operational, market and commercial due diligence to support waste recovery investment decisions. Unlike a traditional arms’ length due diligence check, we get hands-on. Options include technical sampling and analysis, plus fresh market research to challenge or verify business plan assumptions. To find out more, see Due Diligence.