Inventarios

BALKANTRIB ‘08

DESIGN OF SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORKS FOR BIOLUBRICANTS’ PRODUCTION
Agorasti Toka1), Eleftherios Iakovou1), Dimitrios Vlachos1) and Avraam Karagiannidis2)
SUMMARY The use of renewable energy sources for replacing fossil fuels emerges as a major intervention in addressing climate change. To that effect, biomass can be used (along with its utilization for energy production) to replacealmost the entire spectrum of fossil raw materials, as it is possible to produce numerous chemical products for a wide range of industries, including lubricants. Bio-lubricants appear to be environmentally friendly, while some of them offer excellent lubricating properties. This paper focuses on supply chain networks for bio-lubricants’ production that may also include recycling of conventionallubricants. The generic system components are presented and the natural hierarchy of the decision-making process for the sustainable management of biomass distribution networks is discussed, along with the relevant literature review. Following that, a generalized biomass supply chain optimization model is presented for the strategic allocation of its nodes and the related flows. Finally,conclusions are provided and some areas for future research are suggested. Keywords: Bio-lubricants, Biomass Logistics, Biomass Supply Chains, Renewable Materials

1.

Introduction

The continuous growth of global energy consumption raises an important problem as the larger portion of mineral oil reserves resides within a small number of countries, thus forming a fragile energy supply that is expectedto reach its limit within the foreseeable future. Additionally, the usage of fossil fuels causes numerous environmental problems, such as atmospheric pollution, acidification and the emission of greenhouse gases [1, 2]. The development of cleaner and renewable energy sources appears as a meaningful intervention for addressing these problems. Biomass, being itself a renewable energy source,emerges as an interesting option, mainly due to its potential worldwide availability, its conversion efficiency and its ability to be produced and consumed on a CO2-neutral basis. Biomass occurs in the form of biogenic waste (including biosolids, animal, forestry and agricultural residues, or certain types of industrial wastes) and is also produced through the growing of agricultural and forestryrenewable raw materials (such as vegetation and trees, or energy crops). It can be used in many different ways to produce energy in the form of electricity, heat and motor fuels. However, biomass can also be used to replace almost the entire spectrum of fossil raw materials, as it is possible to produce numerous basic substances and chemical products for a wide range of industries, includ-

inghydraulic fluids, waxes, plastics, building and insulating materials, or lubricants. Moreover, recycling of conventional lubricants is another practice that contributes to reduced consumption of fossil based natural resources. Contrary to its use for energy, the quantity of biomass used for bio-lubricants production is relatively small. Although the chemical industry is considered to be one of the minorconsumers of petroleum, the use of this raw material is absolutely essential for production in this industrial sector. Fossil raw materials can only be replaced by biogenic raw materials, whereas energy from fossil fuels can also be replaced by other kinds of renewable energy. The development of biomass supply chains for biolubricants’ production appears to display the complexity of the design ofsupply chains for consumable products in today’s globalised markets. Certain parameters can limit the effectiveness of biomass production systems including spatial/localized agricultural capacities and seasonality. To address few of these issues producers have opted for importing and transporting biomass over long distances. This paper focuses on supply chain networks for biolubricants’...