Synthesis of European Union Biorefinery Supply Networks Considering Sustainability Objectives

Sanja Potrč,Zdravko Kravanja,Lidija Čuček,Mariano Martin

doi:10.3390/pr8121588

Sanja Potrč, Zdravko Kravanja + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8121588

Copy DOI

Journal: Processes	Publication Date: Dec 1, 2020
Citations: 10	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Maribor, Universidad de Salamanca

Abstract

Increasing the use of renewable energy sources is one of the most important goals of energy policies in several countries to build a sustainable energy future. This contribution proposes the synthesis of a biorefinery supply network for a case study of the European Union (EU-27) under several scenarios based on a mathematical programming approach. Several biomass and waste sources, such as grains, waste oils, and lignocellulosics, are proposed to be utilized, and various biofuels including first, second, and third generations are produced such as bioethanol, green gasoline, biodiesel, Fischer Tropsch (FT) diesel, and hydrogen. The aim of this study is to evaluate the capabilities of EU-27 countries to be able to meet the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) target regarding the share of renewable energy in the transport sector by 2030 in each Member State while not compromising the current production of food. A generic mathematical model has been developed for the multi-period optimization of a biorefinery supply network with the objective of maximizing sustainability profit. The solutions obtained show that biomass and waste are promising raw materials to reach and go beyond the EU’s renewable energy target in the transport sector for the year 2030. However, some countries would need to provide additional subsidies for their companies to achieve at least a non-negative economic performance of biofuel production.

Highlights

The economic growth over the last century brought an increased pressure on social and environmental resources [1]
Two different cases are considered where the production of food and biofuels should be equal to the demand for food and the target for biofuels. 100% demand for corn and wheat grain should be achieved, and 14% share of renewable energy should be satisfied by biofuels
The generic mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for a multi-period synthesis of sustainable supply networks producing and sustainability profits increase, while the economic profit decreases due to less biofuel biofuels and food has been applied to a larger scale to a case study of the EU-27

Summary

Introduction

The economic growth over the last century brought an increased pressure on social and environmental resources [1]. Global climate changes and related threats are among the most important factors that awaken growing environmental consciousness [2]. In addition to environmental problems, there are other important areas such as economic efficiency, unemployment, energy supply security, and many others [3]. Sustainable development is essential for satisfying the future needs. The most important pillar of sustainability is still economics, but nowadays, environmental, and social pillars are becoming more and more important. Companies must consider environmental and social aspects while obtaining good economic performance [4]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion