Multi-criteria efficiency assessment of international biomass supply chain pathways using Data Envelopment Analysis

Abstract

Most European countries have committed to ambitious emissions reduction goals. Energy generation in particular is responsible for more than 30% of global emissions, where significant focus has been placed on renewable energy generation, including biomass. On the one hand, there are countries, like the UK, where the biomass stock is insufficient to meet the demand; on the other hand, there are countries, like Brazil, where the stock significantly exceeds the demand. To promote a natural symbiosis, it is necessary to take on the challenge of transporting biomass through long distances in an environmentally and economically efficient manner. This paper aims to assess the efficiency of alternative pathways of international biomass supplychains. The alternatives involve different biomass origin regions, transportation modes, export ports and processing technologies, including torrefaction. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been used for the first time to assess the efficiency of the alternative biomass supply chain pathways in a Latin American context, considering multiple-criteria relating to economic and environmental performance simultaneously, such as the biomass delivered cost, the environmental impact and the fossil energy consumption. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to analyse the robustness of the results under uncertainty in parameter values. The DEA approach presented can assist the process of planning biomass sourcing and improve decision-making under multiple decision criteria. The results can support medium-and longterm strategic decisions for decision-and policy-makers.

Operational Management Implemented in Biofuel Upstream Supply Chain and Downstream International Trading: Current Issues in Southeast Asia

“…Rentizelas et al [63] stressed the need for a decision support tool to facilitate the supply chain design rather than assessing the supply chain of specific origin and destination location. A multicriteria tool based on data envelopment analysis which considers the environmental impact and cost is The review by Diesenreiter and Kranzl [57] suggested that no customised models are available for incorporating global import/export potentials and international trade.…”

“…Rentizelas et al [63] stressed the need for a decision support tool to facilitate the supply chain design rather than assessing the supply chain of specific origin and destination location. A multicriteria tool based on data envelopment analysis which considers the environmental impact and cost is conducted to identify the efficiency of alternative pathways (Up to 56 pathways between Brazil and the UK) of international biomass supply chains are developed.…”

Forest Biomass and Bioenergy Supply Chain Resilience: A Systematic Literature Review on the Barriers and Enablers

“…For example, the "preservation of the soil productivity" [25,26], as an environmental enabler, is affected by environmental potentials, needs and changes, and affects the forest management efficiency and the quantity and quality of utilization. The "optimal investments in importing and exporting capabilities" [27], as economic enabler, are affected by the decisions on a micro and macro scale, and affect the extension and productivity of forest biomass and bioenergy SCN. Furthermore, the "improvement of public awareness and perceptions levels" [28,29], as a social enabler, is affected by training and the revelation of advantages and disadvantages to the public, and affects the acceptance and development rates of these industries.…”

An Analysis of the Effects on Rail Operational Efficiency Due to a Merger between Brazilian Rail Companies: The Case of RUMO-ALL

“…In the south of Brazil, the sugar cane industry has an important impact on the economy, and the rail transportation service available is essential to assist in both improving the performance of this sector and decreasing the respective costs. Other authors [3,[29][30][31] investigated the efficiency of rail operations in Brazil, mostly regarding environmental factors, but without developing approaches to understanding the changes that occurred due to interventions, such as mergers between different companies.…”

“…Although there is substantial literature on rail economics, production costs and analysis of rail productivity, research work on rail production analysis using econometric approaches and efficiency analysis are not extensive in Brazil. According to the best of our knowledge, only six studies have been identified touching upon this topic [3,[29][30][31]45,46], where two of them [45,46] were solely presented in national conferences.…”