An integrated analysis of port and coal storage development plan in a mining company with a simulation approach

Abstract

Managing inbound logistics activities requires an integrated and comprehensive perspective to understand the operations complexity that affects inbound performance. This study proposes an integrated analysis in port and coal storage development plan in a mining company. The main goal of the analysis is creating a cost-effective plan. A discrete event simulation (DES) approach is used to model the complexity, and the model is applied to analyse the number of barge slip, port loading and unloading equipment, the number and the type of material transport equipment. It also analyses how storage capacity can achieve particular service levels. The model considers the actual restriction and uncertainties, such as tidal time, barge sailing and berthing time, loading and unloading time, material transportation time, availability of barge slip, material transportation, loading and unloading equipment. The simulation using 2020 data as the baseline of demand and 2027 data as the highest demand until 2030, this demand led to high queues at barge slip, making stockpile capacity insufficient, and high utility on trucks followed by long queues. Based on the simulation results, increasing the number of resources can be able to solve the overcome problems.