Biomass On-line Management System: BI.O.MA.S (original) (raw)
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2008
One of the main difficulties in the development of biomass supply chains is the lack of reliable and complete information, which is needed to carry out a correct analysis. In this context, it is very important to have a reference application in order to compare biomass production systems. With the aim to bridge this information gap has been implemented by DEIAFA a web application - www.EnergyFarm.unito.it - to investigate the biomass supply chains under the technical, economic and energetic aspects. Functionalities offered by this advanced application include the evaluation of field and logistic operations related to biomass cultivation, harvest and transport to the point of use. All procedures share a common database, ensuring their proper integration. Following the data insertion the user could compute its own crop cultivation costs and margins both on the economic and energetic point of view. The tool was used in combination with discrete event simulation model to assess in detai...
Technologies for Sustainable Biomass Supply—Overview of Market Offering
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This article introduces a collection of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), Internet of Things (IoT), and Industry 4.0 technologies utilized in (or applicable to) biomass supply chains that constitute the current state-of-the-art along with their brief descriptions. The scoping of technologies has been conducted by means of direct interactions with bioeconomy stakeholders and technology providers, analysis of the reports from bioeconomy-related projects, literature surveys, and internet searches. It is to highlight that technology mapping investigated here is focused on commercially available tools and services, which usually come with support, thus removing the necessity for expert knowledge or unusual technical proficiency. The list with over 100 items represents the current best knowledge of its creators and it is currently available through the ICT-BIOCHAIN project platform, serving as a database with technology descriptions and capability for updating the informa...
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Background: With the increasing societal focus on sustainability and the critical need for innovative energy solutions, this research emphasizes the undervalued biomass originating from waste products of agroforestry activities. The traditional practice of disposing of these waste products through open-air burning has led to environmental challenges and a tragic loss of their inherent energy potential. Methods: This study adopts a multifaceted approach, integrating literature reviews, expert interviews from both the academic and professional sectors, and surveys. The central focus is on understanding supply chain inefficiencies and communication gaps that contribute to waste and addressing them through the Lean philosophy, renowned for its waste reduction benefits. Results: Our research culminated in the development of a unique information management model based on a web application. Additionally, the study provides a theoretical groundwork for an application that backs the proposed...
Information and Communication Technologies and biomass Supply Chain Management
Knowledge and innovation society are becoming priorities to the welfare and quality of life of the rural population. This is based substantially on scientific and technological progress. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) accelerate rural development by contributing to more efficient management and rapid knowledge dissemination. ICTs are defined as a different set of technological tools and resources used for communication and for the creation, processing, dissemination, storage and information management. The rapid revolution in modern agriculture has led to investigations in many regions. One of them is the rural region of the prefecture of Pella that exists many years in the agricultural sector. The objective of this research is to evaluate the adoption of ICTs among farmers and determine the importance of agricultural extension as an information source in the region of Central Macedonia. For this purpose, the approaches of summary statistics in combination with multivariate statistical analysis techniques have been used. In particular, through the statistical package SPSS (v.16.0), there were employed two correlation methods: (a) the categorical regression model and (b) the two-step clustering. The primary research data were collected using a specifically constructed questionnaire, supplemented by personal interviews with farmers of the prefecture of Pella. The sampling result was to collect a general sample of 303 valid questionnaires.
Supply Chain Management of Biomass for Energy Generation: A Critical Analysis of Main Trends
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The increasing need of decarbonising energy intensive processes has risen the demand for biomass. Biomass production, distribution and use for energy generation involve several supply chain systems of which understanding requires a comprehensive analysis of the biomass supply chain management. The present article maps the volume and diversity of research carried out in the production and management of biomass supply chains for energy generation. It critically evaluates how well studies have captured multidimensional issues pertaining the supply chain management of biomass used for energy production and identifies future research trends in this field. The VOSviewer (Center for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands) and SciMat (University of Granada, Spain) tools are employed for the construction of scientific maps that demonstrate the evolution of research in the biomass supply chain management area for energy production. The results revealed that...
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In light of climate change, there is pressure worldwide to curb emissions via energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy. Woody biomass has a role in sustainable energy transitions, contributing to emissions reduction, economic development, and energy security as a dispatchable resource. This potential is recognized globally, but the woody biomass supply chain has faced technical and social challenges. Smart technologies are increasingly discussed in discourse on supply chain management, such as their potential to improve transparency and efficiency. Despite a variety of research related to woody biomass as well as smart technologies, little attention has been given to integrating the two perspectives. This study explores this intersection by highlighting smart technologies and mechanisms by which they may contribute to overcoming challenges in the woody biomass supply chain, exemplified by the case of Japan. Based on qualitative expert interviews, exploratory results suggest potential of smart technologies that would contribute to addressing both social and technical challenges of woody biomass in Japan. These challenges include transportation infrastructure, biomass quality management, business model integration (cascading), stakeholder relationship management, and local community revitalization and socioeconomic development. This contribution is based on various mechanisms such as improved transparency, information-sharing, accountability, automation, and value maximization. The results of this paper delineate a potential future development path that integrates smart technologies, woody biomass supply chains, and sustainability goals. This is an important further consideration for energy policy in academia, industry, as well as government.
Opportunities and Challenges in the Design and Analysis of Biomass Supply Chains
Environmental Management, 2015
The biomass supply chain is one of the most critical elements of large-scale bioenergy production and in many cases a key barrier for procuring initial funding for new developments on specific energy crops. Most productions rely on complex transforming chains linked to feed and food markets. The term 'supply chain' covers various aspects from cultivation and harvesting of the biomass, to treatment, transportation, and storage. After energy conversion, the product must be delivered to final consumption, whether it is in the form of electricity, heat, or more tangible products, such as pellets and biofuels. Effective supply chains are of utmost importance for bioenergy production, as biomass tends to possess challenging seasonal production cycles and low mass, energy and bulk densities. Additionally, the demand for final products is often also dispersed, further complicating the supply chain. The goal of this paper is to introduce key components of biomass supply chains, examples of related modeling applications, and if/how they address aspects related to environmental metrics and management. The paper will introduce a concept of integrated supply systems for sustainable biomass trade and the factors influencing the bioenergy supply chain landscape, including models that can be used to investigate the factors. The paper will also cover various aspects of transportation logistics, ranging from alternative modal and multi-modal alternatives to introduction of support tools for transportation analysis. Finally gaps and challenges in supply chain research are identified and used to outline research recommendations for the future direction in this area of study.
Green, Yellow, and Woody Biomass Supply-Chain Management: A Review
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Various sources of biomass contribute significantly in energy production globally given a series of constraints in its primary production. Green biomass sources (such as perennial grasses), yellow biomass sources (such as crop residues), and woody biomass sources (such as willow) represent the three pillars in biomass production by crops. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive review on research studies targeted to advancements at biomass supply-chain management in connection to these three types of biomass sources. A framework that classifies the works in problem-based and methodology-based approaches was followed. Results show the use of modern technological means and tools in current management-related problems. From the review, it is evident that the presented up-to-date trends on biomass supply-chain management and the potential for future advanced approach applications play a crucial role on business and sustainability efficiency of biomass supply chain.