Bio-based sustainable supply chain modelling for rural electrification

Abstract

Small scale gasification systems are employed to meet the requirements of distributed energy systems using locally available biomass at or near the point of use, or pre­treated biomass, such as pellets, bought from an established market. Small scale gasification systems can be employed in rural or urban contexts in both, industrialized or developing areas. This paper describes a supply chain management approach generally formulated and concretely applied to a specific case study located in Atebubu district (Ghana), which uses cassava peels as raw material. The problem is defined as a multi­objective mixed integer linear program considering two main criteria, the net present value and the environmental impact through Impact 2002+ indicator. Taking into consideration rural development in a developing country, the energy models should also deal with social criteria. The technology used to satisfy the electricity demand is a biomass gasifier combined with a gas engine.