Sustainable distributed biodiesel manufacturing under uncertainty: An interval-parameter-programming-based approach

Biodiesel, a clean-burning alternative fuel, can be produced using different types of feedstock and processing technologies. However, how to strategically plan for sustainable biodiesel manufacturing in large geographical region is very challenging, mainly because of technical/non-technical complexity, economic, various environmental and social concerns, and data and information uncertainty. In this paper, we introduce an interval-parameter-programming (IPP)-based strategic planning methodology. By this methodology, the sustainability performance of biodiesel manufacturing technologies and processes can be assessed systematically, and the IPP-based optimization can then generate optimal strategies for sustainable distributed biodiesel manufacturing under uncertainty. The efficacy of the introduced methodology is demonstrated by a sophisticated case study. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.