Synthesis of Biomass Corridor in Peninsular Malaysia via Hybrid Mathematical and Graphical Framework

Abstract

The valorisation of biomass by synthesising a multi-biomass corridor can be an optimistic pathway to solving the growing waste management problem. However, the supply chain problem usually involves a massive number of variables, including the connectivity of the sink source and the selection of a technology pathway. In this work, a “Decomposition Approach” was utilised, wherein a P-graph was incorporated with a conventional mathematical model to reduce the number of variables. Although this type of approach is well established with respect to solving biomass supply chain problems, no previous works have comprehensively considered the effect of the maximum allowable travel distance (MATD) on a supply chain model. A case study in Peninsular Malaysia involving oil palm, paddy, and coconut biomass was conducted using the proposed approach. Moreover, a multiple linear regression (MLR) tool for formulating the cost-correlated function based on the best technology pathway obtained from a P-Graph was incorporated. As a result, the net profit of the biomass corridor was estimated to be USD 0.87 billion, with 1.45 × 107 tonnes per year of biomass being sent to 39 processing hubs over a 20-year lifespan. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was also conducted to investigate the impact of several cost-related parameters on the net profit.