scholarly journals Lifecycle Assessment of Biomass Supply Chain with the Assistance of Agent-Based Modelling

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1964 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raghu KC ◽  
Mika Aalto ◽  
Olli-Jussi Korpinen ◽  
Tapio Ranta ◽  
Svetlana Proskurina
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Fuel Mixture ◽  
Lifecycle Assessment ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Biomass Supply ◽  
Biomass Logistics ◽  
Temporal Aspects

Even though biomass is characterised as renewable energy, it produces anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially from biomass logistics. Lifecycle assessment (LCA) is used as a tool to quantify the GHG emissions from logistics but in the past the majority of LCAs have been steady-state and linear, when in reality, non-linear and temporal aspects (such as weather conditions, seasonal biomass demand, storage capacity, etc.) also have an important role to play. Thus, the objective of this paper was to optimise the environmental sustainability of forest biomass logistics (in terms of GHG emissions) by introducing the dynamic aspects of the supply chain and using the geographical information system (GIS) and agent-based modelling (ABM). The use of the GIS and ABM adds local conditions to the assessment in order to make the study more relevant. In this study, GIS was used to investigate biomass availability, biomass supply points and the road network around a large-scale combined heat and power plant in Naantali, Finland. Furthermore, the temporal aspects of the supply chain (e.g., seasonal biomass demand and storage capacity) were added using ABM to make the assessment dynamic. Based on the outcomes of the GIS and ABM, a gate-to-gate LCA of the forest biomass supply chain was conducted in order to calculate GHG emissions. In addition to the domestic biomass, we added imported biomass from Riga, Latvia to the fuel mixture in order to investigate the effect of sea transportation on overall GHG emissions. Finally, as a sensitivity check, we studied the real-time measurement of biomass quality and its potential impact on overall logistical GHG emissions. According to the results, biomass logistics incurred GHG emissions ranging from 2.72 to 3.46 kg CO2-eq per MWh, depending on the type of biomass and its origin. On the other hand, having 7% imported biomass in the fuel mixture resulted in a 13% increase in GHG emissions. Finally, the real-time monitoring of biomass quality helped save 2% of the GHG emissions from the overall supply chain. The incorporation of the GIS and ABM helped in assessing the environmental impacts of the forest biomass supply chain in local conditions, and the combined approach looks promising for developing LCAs that are inclusive of the temporal aspects of the supply chain for any specific location.

scholarly journals Effects of Local Biomass Availability and Road Network Properties on the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Biomass Supply Chain

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Jäppinen ◽  
O.-J. Korpinen ◽  
T. Ranta
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Road Network ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Biomass Supply ◽  
Network Properties ◽  
Gis Methods ◽  
Biomass Availability

This study presents two case studies of 100 GWh of forest biomass supply: Rovaniemi in northern Finland and Mikkeli in south-eastern Finland. The study evaluates the effects of local biomass availability and road network properties on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of these two supply chains. The local forest biomass availability around the case study locations, truck transportation distances, and road network properties were analyzed by GIS methods to produce accurate and site-dependent data for the transportation emission calculations. The GHG emissions were then assessed by LCA methods. The total transportation distance to Rovaniemi was 22% larger than to Mikkeli, but the transportation derived GHG emissions were 31% larger. The results highlight the fact that local conditions should always be taken into account when assessing the sustainability of biomass-based energy production.

scholarly journals Cost of Oil and Biomass Supply Shocks under Different Biofuel Supply Chain Configurations

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (24) ◽  
pp. 31-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocío Uría-Martínez ◽  
Paul N. Leiby ◽  
Maxwell L. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Cellulosic Biomass ◽  
Renewable Fuel Standard ◽  
Fuel Blends ◽  
Supply Shocks ◽  
Biomass Supply ◽  
Biomass Logistics ◽  
Biofuel Supply Chain ◽  
Light Duty Vehicle ◽  
The Cost

This analysis estimates the cost of selected oil and biomass supply shocks for producers and consumers in the light-duty vehicle fuel market under various supply chain configurations using a mathematical programing model, BioTrans. The supply chain configurations differ by whether they include selected flexibility levers: multi-feedstock biorefineries; advanced biomass logistics; and the ability to adjust ethanol content of low-ethanol fuel blends, from E10 to E15 or E05. The simulated scenarios explore market responses to supply shocks including substitution between gasoline and ethanol, substitution between different sources of ethanol supply, biorefinery capacity additions or idling, and price adjustments. Welfare effects for the various market participants represented in BioTrans are summarized into a net shock cost measure. As oil accounts for a larger fraction of fuel by volume, its supply shocks are costlier than biomass supply shocks. Corn availability and the high cost of adding biorefinery capacity limit increases in ethanol use during gasoline price spikes. During shocks that imply sudden decreases in the price of gasoline, the renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending mandate limits the extent to which flexibility can be exercised to reduce ethanol use. The selected flexibility levers are most useful in response to cellulosic biomass supply shocks.

scholarly journals A Multilayer Model Predictive Control Methodology Applied to a Biomass Supply Chain Operational Level

Complexity ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana M. Pinho ◽  
João Paulo Coelho ◽  
Germano Veiga ◽  
A. Paulo Moreira ◽  
José Boaventura-Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Model Predictive Control ◽  
Predictive Control ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Routing And Scheduling ◽  
Multilayer Model ◽  
Operational Level ◽  
Biomass Supply

Forest biomass has gained increasing interest in the recent years as a renewable source of energy in the context of climate changes and continuous rising of fossil fuels prices. However, due to its characteristics such as seasonality, low density, and high cost, the biomass supply chain needs further optimization to become more competitive in the current energetic market. In this sense and taking into consideration the fact that the transportation is the process that accounts for the higher parcel in the biomass supply chain costs, this work proposes a multilayer model predictive control based strategy to improve the performance of this process at the operational level. The proposed strategy aims to improve the overall supply chain performance by forecasting the system evolution using behavioural dynamic models. In this way, it is possible to react beforehand and avoid expensive impacts in the tasks execution. The methodology is composed of two interconnected levels that closely monitor the system state update, in the operational level, and delineate a new routing and scheduling plan in case of an expected deviation from the original one. By applying this approach to an experimental case study, the concept of the proposed methodology was proven. This novel strategy enables the online scheduling of the supply chain transport operation using a predictive approach.

scholarly journals Forest biomass supply chain optimization for a biorefinery aiming to produce high-value bio-based materials and chemicals from lignin and forestry residues: a review of literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luana Dessbesell ◽  
Chunbao (Charles) Xu ◽  
Reino Pulkki ◽  
Mathew Leitch ◽  
Nubla Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Product Portfolio ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Supply Chain Optimization ◽  
Biomass Supply ◽  
Forestry Residues

Technological development has enabled the production of new value-added products from lignocellulosic residues such as lignin. This has allowed the forest industry to diversify its product portfolio and maximize the economic returns from feedstock, while simultaneously working towards sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products. Although previous research has explored industrial-scale production opportunities, many challenges persist, including the cost of woody biomass and its supply chain reliability. While numerous studies have addressed these issues, their emphasis has traditionally been on bioenergy, with little focus on biochemical, biomaterials, and bioproducts. This review seeks to address this gap through a systematic study of the work recently reported by researchers. A lot of work has been published from United States and Canada with an emphasis on bioenergy production (84.8%), 4.6% of the work is focused on biomass to materials and chemicals, and 10.6% addressed both. Between 2012 and 2015, the majority of published research focused on biomass to materials and chemicals and both biomass to energy and biomass to materials and chemicals. This fact highlights recent interests in diversified biorefinery portfolios. However, further work concerning forest biomass supply chain optimization and new high-value bio-based materials and chemicals is necessary.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Sustainable Bio-Oil Production Using a Mixed Supply Chain

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Mirkouei ◽  
Karl R. Haapala ◽  
John Sessions ◽  
Ganti S. Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Renewable Resource ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Bio Oil ◽  
Potential Benefits

Recent growing interest in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions requires the application of effective energy solutions, such as the utilization of renewable resources. Biomass represents a promising renewable resource for bioenergy, since it has the potential to reduce GHG emissions from various industry sectors. In spite of the potential benefits, biomass is limited due to logistical challenges of collection and transport to bio-refineries. This study proposes a forest biomass-to-bio-oil mixed supply chain network to reduce the GHG emissions compared to a conventional bioenergy supply chain. The mixed supply chain includes mixed-mode bio-refineries and mixed-pathway transportation. Life cycle assessment is conducted for a case study in the Pacific Northwest with the assistance of available life cycle inventory data for biomass-to-bio-oil supply chain. Impact assessment, on a global warming potential (GWP) basis, is conducted with the assistance of databases within SimaPro 8 software. Sensitivity analysis for the case investigated indicates that using the mixed supply chain can reduce GHG emissions by 2–5% compared to the traditional supply chain.

scholarly journals Le potentiel de la biomasse forestière comme source d’énergie pour le Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (03) ◽  
pp. 345-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Paré ◽  
Pierre Bernier ◽  
Evelyne Thiffault ◽  
Brian Titus
Keyword(s):  
Energy Source ◽  
Heat Production ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Biomass Supply ◽  
Relative Scarcity ◽  
Le Canada

There is a growing interest in using forest biomass as an energy source. The main objectives of this paper are to give some figures and perspectives on Canadian forest biomass supply with respect to Canada's energy demand and to examine the potential of using this feedstock for reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Published estimates of forest biomass supply as harvest residues are reported and discussed. The range of estimates listed here indicates that this source of energy is important but that it is still a fraction of our energy demands. The potential of using this biomass to reduce our GHG emissions is strongly dependent, among other factors, on the technological pathways that are used, with direct heat production and combined heat and power (CHP) ranking amongst the best options available. The relative scarcity of the resource behooves us to use it efficiently.

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