Abstract
Abstract This paper develops a network-optimization planning methodology for U.S. coal port infrastructure. The model analyzes the economic and geographic impacts of harbor deepening and offshore topping-off, improvements which are considered essential for the U.S. to maintain export levels in the face of lower-cost competition because they enable loading of the largest coal supercolliers. The Coal Logistics System (COLS) is a mixed-integer programming model that captures the interaction between coal types and origins, rail and barge networks, ports and intermodal terminals, economies of scale in ocean shipping, foreign demand for steam and metallurgical coal, and environmental regulation. Model results provide the optimal set of coal flows for minimizing the costs of producing, transporting, and transshipping coal. A base case is calibrated for 1985 in which the model predicts the throughput at each of five major ports within 10 percent of actual historical levels. Four scenarios evaluate the effects of ...
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.