Volume 4: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part III

An Integrated Framework for Flexible Refined Products Supply Chain Bohong Wang, Haoran Zhang, Meng Yuan, Yongtu Liang

Abstract

The paper outlines our ongoing efforts on building a framework for a flexible refined products supply chain. Current refined products supply chain faces the risks of supply and demand fluctuation, refineries and transport facilities (i.e. pipelines) disruption, and depots accidents. These risks will lead to the unmet demand of the sales market and affect social and economic developments. The framework integrates a basic mixed-integer linear programming model for current refined products supply chain simulation, a reliability assessment method, and an expanded model considering facilities expansion and multi-energy sources supplement. We introduce the concept and importance of refined products supply chain flexibility study, the conceptual framework and its integrated components. Finally, we summarize the current research challenges and give a conclusion.

Keywords refined products, supply chain, flexibility, mixed-integer linear programming