Multi-objective synthesis of a company's supply network by accounting for several environmental footprints

• Published in: Process safety and environmental protection 2014-09, Vol.92 (5), p.456-466
• Main Authors: Vujanović, Annamaria, Čuček, Lidija, Pahor, Bojan, Kravanja, Zdravko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accounting; Blast furnace practice; Carbon; Company's supply network; Environmental impact; Environmental impacts; Footprints; Multi-objective synthesis; Networks; Renewables; Solar energy; Synthesis; Total footprints
• ISSN: 0957-5820; 1744-3598
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2014.03.004

•Renewables (biomass, solar energy) are integrated into a company's supply network.•Profit vs. total footprints is maximized in the multi-objective synthesis.•Total footprints represent burdening and unburdening effects on the environment.•The results are more profitable and yet significantly unburden the environment. This contribution presents the multi-objective synthesis of a company's supply network by integrating renewables (biomass and other waste, and solar energy) and accounting for several environmental footprints. The synthesis is based on a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem. A previously developed model by the authors for achieving energy self-sufficiency by integrating renewables into companies’ supply networks has been extended for the evaluation of environmental impacts, such as energy, carbon, nitrogen, and water footprints. The achievement of an energy self-sufficient supply network has been considered whilst significantly reducing environmental impacts. The presented model is applied to multinational poultry-meat producing company. Direct (burdening) and indirect (unburdening) effects that form total effects on the environment are considered for the evaluation of environmental footprints. The results showed significant unburdening of the environment in terms of carbon and nitrogen footprints but, however, higher burdening in terms of the water footprint.