Designing Trans-European Logistics Networks for Biogenic Residues-based Energy Carrier Production

Facing a cascading use of biomass, several types of biogenic residues as well as different conversion technologies for energy carrier production are under recent investigation. A further prominent issue in this context is given by the way of supplying biogenic residues and energy carriers, respectively. Here, logistics is supposed to have a decisive impact on total costs of such energy supply networks. In order to verify this argument, logistics networks which consider both operational as well as strategic modeling aspects are designed and evaluated. This scientific examination has emerged from the BioBoost project (FP7 project, http://www.bioboost.eu/). A holistic logistics model is set up in order to determine an optimal supply network topology for second-generation bioenergy production in Europe through incorporating operational logistics processes, i.e. transport, handling and storage for biogenic residues as well as energy carriers. Initially, a main emphasize is put on defining and evaluating proper equipment and infrastruc-ture required for efficient and secure logistics operations. Thereby, most of these data are defined through consulting practitioners and reviewing existing literature. Based on this dataset, logistics costs for each product and logistics equipment, i.e. transport mean, handling device and type of storage are calculated. Among others, these cost data serve as a major input for the holistic logistics model, which aims at strategically locating facilities and allocating product sources in Europe in an optimal manner (mixed-integer problem). Since this endeavor is highly complex and uncertain, a simulation-based optimization approach using meta-heuristics is applied in order to derive an optimal logis-tics network design. This research work provides concrete insights into the field of biomass as well as energy carrier logistics by combining both operational and strategic ele-ments. Most important, the outlined logistics network for biogenic residues-based energy carrier production in Europe serves as a fundament for a subse-quent life cycle assessment conducted also within the BioBoost project.