Global optimization algorithm for multi-period design and planning of centralized and distributed manufacturing networks

Lignocellulosic biorefineries: A multiscale approach for resource exploitation

Biomass can become the source for chemicals towards a sustainable production system. However, the challenges it presents such as the variety of species, their widespread and sparse availability, and the expensive transportation claims for an integrated approach to design the novel production system. Multiscale approaches have not been properly extended to biorefineryes design and deployment, due to the comprehensive experimental and modelling work they require. A systems perspective provides the systematic framework to analyze the availability and composition of raw materials across regions, how that affects process design, the portfolio of products that can be obtained by evaluating the strong link between the biomass features and the process design. The use of lignocellulosic materials requires for a multidisciplinary work, that must lead to new process engineers with technical competences in biology, biotechnology but also process engineering, mathematics, computer science and social sciences towards a sustainable process/chemical industry.

Status and prospects of the decentralised valorisation of natural gas into energy and energy carriers

We critically review the recent advances in process, reactor, and catalyst design that enable process miniaturisation for decentralised natural gas upgrading into electricity, liquefied natural gas, fuels and chemicals.

A Strategic Location Decision-Making Approach for Multi-Tier Supply Chain Sustainability

Few studies on supply location decisions focus on enhancing triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability in supply chains; they rarely employ objective quantifiable measurements which help ensure consistent and transparent decisions or reveal relationships between business and environmental trade-off criteria. Therefore, we propose a decision-making approach for objectively selecting multi-tier supply locations based on cost and carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) from manufacturing, logistics, and sustainability-assurance activities, including certificate implementation, sample-checking, living wage and social security payments, and factory visits. Existing studies and practices, logic models, activity-based costing, and feedback from an application and experts help develop the approach. The approach helps users in location decisions and long-term supply chain planning by revealing relationships among factors, TBL sustainability, and potential risks. This approach also helps users evaluate whether supplier prices are too low to create environmental and social compliance. Its application demonstrates potential and flexibility in revealing both lowest- and optimized-cost and CO2e supply chains, under various contexts and constraints, for different markets. Very low cost/CO2e supply chains have proximity between supply chain stages and clean manufacturing energy. Considering sustainability-assurance activities differentiates our approach from existing studies, as the activities significantly impact supply chain cost and CO2e in low manufacturing unit scenarios.