Biomass supply chain – A vital factor in the success of bio-projects
April 26 @ 4:00 PM
Abstract
Using forest-based biomass to produce value-added products in bio-conversion facilities provides numerous economic, social and environmental benefits. Thus, it has been promoted through government policies and incentives. Nonetheless, some bio-project investments fail due to less attention to biomass supply chain. Forest-based biomass is a bulky material with low energy density and high moisture content. Its quality and availability vary which necessitate storage and pre-processing operations. This in tern increases the feedstock cost. Feedstock cost accounts for about 50% of the total product cost, therefore, planning and managing the biomass supply chain is vital for the success of bio-projects. In this talk, the recent projects that we completed to address the sustainable planning of forest-based biomass supply chains will be presented.
Dr. Taraneh Sowlati is a Professor in the Department of Wood Science, and the Associate Dean Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She leads the Industrial Engineering Research Group (IERG). Over the past decade, the focus of her research has been on biomass supply chains. Most of her current projects are related to utilizing forest-based biomass to generate value added bio-products and optimizing their supply chains. Her research involves evaluation of economic, environmental and social aspects of bio-based products and processes. She and her research group develop mathematical programming models and decision support tools to manage and optimize integrated and sustainable forest-based biomass supply chains considering uncertainties, risks, multiple viewpoints, multiple criteria, carbon tax and government policies and incentives.