Green supply chain for coal: Models and optimization

Abstract

Coal, as an indispensable energy source for global power generation, necessitates significant attention to its transportation operations. In practical applications, coal blending has been shown to effectively reduce sulfur emissions from power plants. Addressing this challenge, this study proposes a coal transportation scheduling model that integrates considerations of port stockyard capacity, operational conflicts among stockpile groups, and blending requirements to meet power generation demands. The model aims to coordinate coal reclaiming, stacking, and transportation operations while minimizing coal storage costs and sulfur treatment costs, ensuring the uninterrupted fulfillment of power generation tasks. Finally, the proposed scheduling model is validated through case analysis and computational experiments based on real-world scenarios of a thermal power plant, providing practical insights for the operation of coal-fired power plants.