Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that the use of high-capacity transportation (HCT) can lead to low-carbon road-transportation in the forest industry. This study shows the impacts (in terms of energy efficiency) of a three-year adaptation process of transportation (2014–2016) towards HCT that took place in a synchronized transportation system (STS). The use of three transportation fleet-management control (TFMC) methods was analyzed in various road infrastructures. Energy-efficiency calculations were undertaken based on the HCT vehicles’ mass limits (64, 68 and 76 t). The use of 76 t vehicles increased energy efficiency by 13.4% and reduced CO2 emissions by 3.5% (to 49.6 g/tkm). In addition, the results show that the energy efficiency of the STS could be improved by a further 3.1%. In this respect, the proposed TFMC was used to adjust the STS towards vehicle-group transportation while meeting the road-class constraints of local wood supply chains. Forest-industry companies in Finland and abroad can use the tailored TFMC to optimize the STS in the near future and to achieve the energy-efficient STS and the regulations of the European Commission in wood-procurement logistics.
Highlights
The European Commission seeks efficient solutions to help Europe consume less energy.The ultimate goal is for the European Commission to have a low-carbon, circular economy [1]
The changes in the energy efficiency of three transportation fleet-management control (TFMC) options in Stora Enso’s Wood Supply Finland (SEWSF) were calculated based on the energy efficiency of three
An approach using TFMC for the synchronized transportation system (STS) adjustment is proposed in increasing the energy efficiency of the STS of wood procurement
Summary
The ultimate goal is for the European Commission to have a low-carbon, circular economy [1]. To reach this goal, the Commission seeks to cut the exhaust emissions to 80% below its 1990 level by 2050. The road map emphasizes that the change from fossil fuels to a low-carbon economy is feasible if all industrial sectors contribute towards reaching the targets. This means that the transportation sector of the European forest-product industry needs to implement energy-efficiency measures to ensure that these climate goals will be attained. The transportation sector’s adaptation process is important towards environmental sustainability because the European Commission has anticipated that, without regulations, the quantity of road transportation (ton-kilometer, tkm) will increase to 80% above its 2005 level by 2030 [3,4]
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