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This paper applies an innovative optimization methodology to the supply chain of biomethanol production starting from forestry residues in Sweden. The model accounts for the collection of the biomass, the transport to the biorefinery including intermediate storages and the biodiesel plant. Particular attention is devoted to the characterization from economic and environmental point of view of the transport by truck and trains, the impact of the drying process as well as the size of the biorefinery plant. Results show that the forestry residues collection is limited by the size of the biodiesel plants. The calculated cost of the fuel is around 525 €/t being the biorefinery the major cost. The equivalent CO 2 emissions are around 10.4 g CO2 /MJ MeOH thanks to the low carbon intensity of the Swedish electricity. A sensitivity analysis showed that the supply chain does not vary significantly assuming higher prices of biomethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For remote areas, small-scale local biodiesel production is particularly attractive if producers and consumers are the same. Such supply chains are labeled as bidirectional. However, little is known on how raw material supply, transportation, logistics, production and operations uncertainties impact the operational performance of such Bidirectional Biodiesel Supply Chains. This paper contributes by exploring these uncertainties in a multiple case study, directed at mobile processing of rubber seeds, in a remote area. Scientifically, the paper contributes by identifying several novel sources of uncertainty: a short-term perspective, lack of knowledge and the previously unrecognized influence of the local government. Additionally, based on these findings, an extended theoretical framework is proposed which links sources of uncertainty to operational performance. The study provides also insights for stakeholders aiming to increase local biofuel production and provides a stepping-stone to investigate adequate measures to manage the identified uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Due to the European favorable policy, the process to convert Used Cooking Oil (UCO) into biodiesel has resulted in a rapid increase over the last years. However, the manufacture of biodiesel can be hazardous if suitable precautions are not taken, as it involves the storage, handling and use of several hazardous substances. Although the rise in the number of biodiesel process plants and new operators has resulted in a number of incidents resulting in loss of life and property, publications concern the risks regarding the production of UCO based biodiesel are limited. By taking into account the high rise of the biodiesel industry and UCO collection it is essential to develop an operational risk management tool. The scope of this paper is: (i) the clarification of the importance of safety during the production (life cycle) of UCO based biodiesel; (ii) the identification of probable hazards incorporated to the overall production process of UCO based biodiesel; and (iii) the assessment of these hazards by stakeholders. In this way, there will be available data which allow to check the performance and to avoid mishap recurrence, by identifying the converse incidents which are more likely to occur. Highlights • Hazards in the UCO-to-biodiesel industry were categorized and assessed. • The highest identified hazards were related to the storage and use of methanol in the biodiesel plant. • The major type of accidents at biodiesel facilities recognized to be fires and explosions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel is an attractive renewable energy in Iran. However, the concerns for food security, emissions, and water requirement move us towards developing the analytical framework to study emission-water nexus of biodiesel via the multi objective sustainable planning of biodiesel supply chain. Here, the literature of biodiesel in Iran is comprehensively reviewed and main issues are discussed. Then, a supply chain planning model is applied to depict the optimal path ways to minimize costs, net emission, and water use in Iran during 25 years. The microalgae via open ponds and jatropha cultivation reduce the total costs and improve negative emissions. The jatropha optimizes the water use and increases negative emissions. The results indicate that the integrated management of water must be carefully considered to select optimal pathway of the environmental friendly biofuel strategies. This paper provides the optimal frame work for the policy makers to consider different aspects for the future of the biodiesel supply chain of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a decisional framework and a mathematical model for the sustainable design of biodiesel supply chain networks (BSCND). We consider a broad group of sustainable aims, i.e. standard economic goals (revenue and logistics costs of BSCND), environmental issues based on a biodiesel production life cycle assessment (LCA), and the social incidental aspects (e.g. crime control, political stability, and community attitude, among others). The framework begins with a simulation of the biodiesel production system, feeding later, with suitable input parameters and suitable solutions, and a macro-location model designed to establish the regional positioning of biofuel conversion plants. Optimal regions are used as initial feasible solution space for the proposed micro-location model. In this part of the framework, we introduce an adaptation of Extended Goal Programming to rank the best municipalities (definitive locations) emphasizing the social aspects under consideration. The framework application is set up in the following Colombian context: first generation biodiesel production from palm oil feedstock. Our computational results indicate that the Colombian city of Rionegro (in the Santader region) is the most sustainable location for a new biodiesel plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of first-generation biodiesel production from vegetable edible oils and animal fats has triggered a sense of concern among policymakers and development practitioners about farm land allocation, food supply, and food market equilibrium. In this respect, utilization of second-generation biodiesel from non-edible feedstocks has been attracted many interests in recent years. To accelerate transition towards large-scale and economic viable biofuels, systematic design and optimization of entire biofuel supply chains is crucial. In this paper, firstly the presented works for biofuel supply chains optimization are systematically reviewed and categorized. Secondly, a multi-period and multi-product biodiesel supply chain network design model is developed. The proposed model is capable to determine the optimum numbers, locations, capacity of facilities, suitable transportation modes, appropriate technology at bio-refinery, material flow, and production planning in different periods. The proposed model is applied in a real case in Iran. We consider Jatropha seeds and waste cooking oil as non-edible feedstocks for second-generation biodiesel production in the studied case. The acquired results demonstrate the efficiency and performance of the proposed model in designing biodiesel supply chain network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste cooking oil (WCO)-for-biodiesel conversion is regarded as the “waste-to-wealthy” industry. This paper addresses the design of a WCO-for-biodiesel supply chain at both strategic and tactical levels. The supply chain of this problem is studied, which is based on a typical mode of the waste collection (from restaurants’ kitchen) and conversion in the cities. The supply chain comprises three stakeholders: WCO supplier, integrated bio-refinery and demand zone. Three key problems should be addressed for the optimal design of the supply chain: (1) the number, sizes and locations of bio-refinery; (2) the sites and amount of WCO collected; (3) the transportation plans of WCO and biodiesel. A robust mixed integer linear model with muti-objective (economic, environmental and social objectives) is proposed for these problems. Finally, a large-scale practical case study is adopted based on Suzhou, a city in the east of China, to verify the proposed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae have emerged as one of the most promising sources for biodiesel production because they yield a substantial amount of oil. In order to accelerate the commercialization of microalgal biodiesel, this paper proposes a two-stage model for the design and planning of a microalgae-based biodiesel supply chain. The macro-stage performs a spatial filtering using GIS and AHP to identify the most suitable candidate locations to establish biodiesel production facilities. These potential locations are later applied in the supply chain design model of the micro-stage. Consequently, the macro-stage obviates the need to consider a large set of candidate locations which is the main reason for the computational complexity of the supply chain optimization problems. In the micro-stage, a robust mixed-integer linear programming (RMILP) optimization model, which provides a trade-off between system cost and reliability, is elaborated to determine the strategic and tactical supply chain decisions that remain optimal for almost all possible realizations of the uncertain parameters. The applicability of the proposed framework is demonstrated through a case study considering different uncertainty settings. The results show that the proposed model outperforms the traditional supply chain design models in terms of solution robustness and computational time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undesirable environmental impacts caused by fossil fuel consumption have motivated governments to focus on biofuels production. Therefore, in our paper, we design a multi-objective biodiesel supply chain from Jatropha, which includes biomass cultivation center, pretreatment, and oil extraction center, biorefinery, and demand zone. In our study, a two-stage approach presented, which first specifies candidate locations for biomass cultivation with a common weight data envelopment analysis (CWDEA) method and then strategic and tactical decisions were made by a mathematical model. The presented multi-objective model focuses on cost minimization, besides social benefits and environmental impacts maximization while a life cycle assessment approach is used to model social indicators. The capability of the model is validated by proposing a case study of Iran and the augmented ε-constraint method is employed to reach a trade-off between three pillars of sustainability while managerial insights are provided by employing a Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method for the optimal solution selection. Model's results and sensitivity analysis on key parameters, specify the best locations for Jatropha Curcas L. (JCL) cultivation and facility construction as well as an optimal value of supply chain variables, which finally proves that Iran has a high potential for biodiesel production from JCL that leads improving balanced socio-economic development in this country. • Presenting a two-stage approach for designing sustainable biodiesel supply chain. • Quantifying social criteria in a multi-objective biodiesel supply chain. • Cost optimization by specifying the best locations for feed stock cultivation. • Presenting the trade-off between three pillars of sustainability. • Considering decision-makers' preferences for selecting the optimum solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]