Integrating bio-hubs in biomass supply chains: Insights from a systematic literature review

Biomass sources are geographically scattered, and seasonal changes influence their availability. Variations in location, type, and feedstock quality impose logistical and storage challenges. Such a dispersion and variety of biomass sources, as well as the dispersion of demand points, may undermine the economies of scale and increase the risk of supply shortage. By consolidating biomass preprocessing and distribution activities in bio-hub facilities, they can contribute to the overall resilience of biomass supply chains (BSCs) and ensure a more sustainable and cost-efficient approach to bioenergy production. As such, investigating the advantages and challenges associated with bio-hub implementation can offer invaluable insights on the efficiency and sustainability of BSCs. Despite its critical role, a major part of the literature on BSCs is confined to the decision-making processes related to biomass suppliers and bioconversion facilities. To bridge this research gap, the current study conducts a systematic literature review on bio-hub implementation within BSCs in the period of the last ten years. Shortlisted papers are classified and analyzed meticulously to extract possible improvements from BSC and modeling perspectives. From the BSC viewpoint, one notable gap is the little attention to mid-term and short-term decisions of bio-hub operations such as inventory control, resource management and production planning. Furthermore, the results revealed that environmental and social aspects of bio-hub implementation require considerable attention. From the modeling perspective, findings illustrate the underutilization of integrated approaches to incorporate micro-level and macro-level information in decision-making. In this regard, a number of areas are suggested for further exploration

User data dissemination concepts for earth resources

Domestic data dissemination networks for earth-resources data in the 1985-1995 time frame were evaluated. The following topics were addressed: (1) earth-resources data sources and expected data volumes, (2) future user demand in terms of data volume and timeliness, (3) space-to-space and earth point-to-point transmission link requirements and implementation, (4) preprocessing requirements and implementation, (5) network costs, and (6) technological development to support this implementation. This study was parametric in that the data input (supply) was varied by a factor of about fifteen while the user request (demand) was varied by a factor of about nineteen. Correspondingly, the time from observation to delivery to the user was varied. This parametric evaluation was performed by a computer simulation that was based on network alternatives and resulted in preliminary transmission and preprocessing requirements. The earth-resource data sources considered were: shuttle sorties, synchronous satellites (e.g., SEOS), aircraft, and satellites in polar orbits

Coopetition for innovative freight transport solutions in Swedish retail

Many companies today strive to reduce their environmental impact. A potential strategy to reduce CO2 emissions is horizontal cooperation between actors on the same level of different supply chains. The strategy opens for cooperation, in for example such non-core activities as distribution and transportation, between companies with a competitive relationship. Larger transport networks increase the possibility to combine optimal routes and consolidate goods. There is also an opportunity for joint facilities which further decrease costs and possibly reduce the total driven kilometres due to more direct routes. This master thesis will analyse participating companies’ transport networks and identify collaboration synergies. This to be able to investigate the effects on costs and the environmental impact that horizontal cooperation has. In order to quantify these effects, a constructed case has been built up consisting of two case companies. The case companies are the two largest grocery retailing companies in Sweden - ICA and Coop, with a total market share of around 70%. The purpose of this master thesis has been to test how a dyadic horizontal distribution cooperation effects the CO2 emissions and costs for large grocery retailers in Sweden. The transportation networks for each company have been built in the Supply Chain Guru software. The networks have then been combined with joint distribution terminals to investigate how shared distribution facilities influence the total cost and CO2 emissions. Given the underlying assumptions in the models, the results show a potential to reduce distribution costs by 6.2% and reduce CO2 emissions by 1%. These results show a great potential for horizontal cooperation and the potential could increase even more when adding more aspects such as joint distribution planning and supplier collections. The analysis requires a state-of-the-art supply chain design software and a software analysis has been carried out. The software is needed to be able to build up large network models and see how changes in the supply chain design affects the environmental impact and the costs. Out of 13 software, six software was possible candidates and out of those two where thoroughly tested. The software analysis showed that out of these two, LLamasoft Supply Chain Guru was the most suitable software and has been used in the analysis. Horizontal cooperation opens new innovative ways for companies to act and cut logistics costs and reduce the environmental impact. This master thesis’ purpose was to test how a dyadic horizontal cooperation affect CO2 emissions and logistics cost and shows that horizontal cooperation has a large potential for the two largest companies in the Swedish retail industry. This should invite to more research in the area, including more companies and other industries to truly investigate the vast possibilities of horizontal cooperation

Essays on Dry Ports

Due to several reasons, currently the global supply chains are getting stretched further away into the hinterlands from the gateway seaports. This single fact enhances the importance of dry ports. It would not be against logic, to state that in coming times, as a result of ever-growing quest for satisfying the customers, improving quality, cutting transaction costs the dry ports will assume greater importance than sea ports, hence a study of this phenomenon assumes importance. Post financial crisis, India along with China and Brazil have acquired global attention due to consistent economic growth and most importantly its perceived ability to pull the world out of recession. There are quite a few similarities in all the three countries apart from demography produce and landmass. The chief amongst them is overwhelming quest for growth and suitable policies being adopted to satisfy the growth. It is but obvious that the dry ports will play a major role in the growth stories of all three countries. This thesis looks at the dry ports in India from different perspectives such as locational analysis, role of government in development of dry ports and need for Public Private Partnerships (PPP), regulating dry port competition and role of regulatory authorities, environmental externalities and dry port efficiency, factors affecting dry port performance and lastly container security at dry ports. The contention behind the compilation of overtly disparate dry port related topics is that every aspect has a clear but subtle bearing on other for e.g. competition policy has an impact on dry port performance. Similarly container security and environmental impact are related to the overall efficiency of the dry port. The importance of location of a dry port cannot be over emphasized and is directly related to the dry port performance

An Investigation to Evaluate the Feasibility of an Intermodal Freight Transport System.

The threat of greenhouse gases and the resulting climate change have been causing concern at international levels. This has led towards new sustainable policies towards reducing the anthropogenic effects on the environment and the population through promoting sustainable solutions for the freight industry. The research was prompted by the growing concerns that were no mode-choice tool to select as an alternative to road freight transport. There were growing concerns that a large percentage of transport related negativities, related various costs and pollution costs, losses arising from traffic accidents, delay costs from congestion and abatement costs due to climate impacts of transport, etc., were not being borne by the user. Economists have defined them as external costs. Internalising these external costs has been regarded as an efficient way to share the transport related costs. The aim of this research was to construct a freight mode choice model, based on total transport costs, as a mode choice substitution tool. This model would allow the feasibility of choosing alternative intermodal system to a primarily ‘road system’. The thesis postulates a novel model in computing total freight transport costs incurred during the total transit of goods along three North European transport corridors. The model evaluated the total costs summing the internal, external and time costs for varied mode choices from unimodal and the second level of intermodal transport systems. The research outcomes have shown the influences of total costs on the shipper and the preferred mode choices from the available mode/route options with sustainable transport solutions. The impacts of such alternatives were evaluated in this research. This will allow the embedding of intermodal infrastructures as sustainable and alternative mode choices for the freight industry