Optimal Planning of the Sustainable Supply Chain for Sugar and Bioethanol Production

The interest in renewable fuels such as bioethanol has significantly increased in the last years all over the world. In this work, a decision-support tool based on a mixed integer linear model for the design of sugarcane supply chains (SC) is developed. The approach considers the minimization of the total SC costs and environmental impact, which is determined according to the Life-Cycle Assessment principles. The solution is a set of Pareto optimal alternatives, i.e. SC configurations with associated strategic planning decisions. The capabilities of the proposed framework are illustrated through a case-study designed on the basis of the current situation in Argentina.