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In this article, traditional supply chain planning models are extended to simultaneously optimize inventory policies. The inventory policies considered are the (r,Q) and (s,S) policies. In the (r,Q) inventory policy an order for Q units is placed every time the inventory level reaches level r, while in the s,S policy the inventory is reviewed in predefined intervals. If the inventory is found to be below level s, an order is placed to bring the level back to level S. Additionally, to address demand uncertainty four safety stock formulations are presented: (1) proportional to throughput, (2) proportional to throughput with risk‐pooling effect, (3) explicit risk‐pooling, and (4) guaranteed service time. The models proposed allow simultaneous optimization of safety stock, reserve, and base stock levels in tandem with material flows in supply chain planning. The formulations are evaluated using simulation. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: 99–112, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electricity generation sector needs to reduce its environmental impact and dependence on fossil fuel, mainly from coal. Biomass is one of the most promising future options to produce electricity, given its potential contribution to climate change mitigation. Even though biomass is an old source of energy, it is not yet a well-established commodity. The use of biomass in large centralised systems requires the establishment of delivery channels to provide the desired feedstock with the necessary attributes, at the right time and place. In terms of time to deployment and cost of the solution, co-combustion/co-gasification of biomass and coal are presented as transition and short-medium term alternatives towards a carbon-neutral energy sector. Hence, there is a need to assess an effective introduction of co-combustion/co-gasification projects in the current electricity production share. The purpose of this work is to review recent steps in Process Systems Engineering towards bringing into reality individualised and ad-hoc solutions, by building a common but adjustable design platform to tailored approaches of biomass-based supply chains. Current solutions and the latest developments are presented and future needs under study are also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]