Spatially Explicit Static Model for the Strategic Design of Future Bioethanol Production Systems. 2. Multi-Objective Environmental Optimization

In developing an optimization framework to assist in the design process of biofuel systems, the economic effectiveness of the supply network should not be adopted as the sole criterion to focus on. In fact, there has recently been growing attention in including environmental concerns at the strategic level of supply chain management. In this part 2, the spatially explicit multi-echelon mixed integer linear program (MILP) modeling framework described in part 1(1) of this work has been extended by including environmental issues along with the traditional economic ones within a more comprehensive multi-objective optimization tool. The economics have been assessed by means of supply chain analysis techniques, focusing on biomass cultivation site locations, ethanol production capacity assignment and facilities location,. as well as transport system optimization. The environmental performance of the system has been evaluated in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, by adopting a well-to-tank (WTT) approach to consider the supply network operating impact on global warming over the entire life cycle. The strategic design tool as developed has been applied and solved in assessing the emerging corn-based Italian ethanol system. The resulting outcomes demonstrate the valuable support that the model may provide in formulating a well-advised strategic policy to promote the market penetration as well as to reduce the social and environmental impacts of biomass-based fuels.