Road Network Optimization Model for Supplying Woody Biomass Feedstock for Energy Production in Northwestern Ontario

Abstract

The road network optimization problem is one of the most difficult and challenging problems in transport planning. Most of the research in this area has focused on finding an optimal solution in order to minimize the total travel cost in the network with given demand from each origin to each destination, while accounting for different route characteristics in the network. In this paper, we develop a raster-based road network optimization model to assist in woody biomass procurement decision-making for bioenergy production in northwestern Ontario. We incorporate speed and load constraints on different types of roads and seek minimum time and cost (or shortest distance) from any grid cell (1 km x 1 km) to any road containing cell in an area covering 167,184 km 2 . We also determine the minimum raster resolution that supplies consistent results at local and regional scales. Finally, we establish variable cost zones surrounding four northwestern Ontario power generating stations using woody biomass feedstock. Although, the network optimization model has been developed for supplying woody biomass feedstock to the power generating stations, it can be used for transporting any material across the region.