Life Cycle Assessment–Integrated Sustainable Renewable Energy Supply Chain Design and Optimisation

Life Cycle Assessment–Integrated Sustainable Renewable Energy Supply Chain Design and Optimisation

Project description

The transition to sustainable energy systems is one of the most pressing global challenges, driven largely by the need to mitigate climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources, such as biomass and hydrogen, offer promising alternatives; however, their large-scale deployment is constrained by high feedstock costs, supply uncertainty, logistical complexity, and environmental and socio-economic considerations. Addressing these challenges requires an integrated and sustainable supply chain framework.

This research project focuses on the design and optimisation of sustainable renewable energy supply chains, with particular attention to biomass-based systems while remaining applicable to other renewable pathways, including hydrogen. The study examines supply chain planning across strategic, tactical, and operational decision-making levels, emphasising the need to integrate these levels to improve system performance and sustainability. Sustainability is evaluated through the combined consideration of economic viability, environmental impact, and social benefits.

The project develops an integrated framework that combines dynamic simulation modelling, agent-based modelling, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), geographic information systems (GIS), and multi-objective mathematical optimisation. Dynamic simulation models are used to assess economic and environmental impacts of renewable energy supply chains at both local and global scales. Results indicate that improvements in transportation modes and production technologies can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Energy- and water-intensive processes, particularly in the production and transportation of intermediate and final products, highlight the importance of managing the water–energy nexus within renewable energy supply chains.

Global supply chains, especially those involving maritime transportation, are analysed to evaluate the effects of ship technology, capacity, and fuel type on transportation costs and emissions. Findings suggest that reducing transportation costs and minimising reliance on carbon-intensive fuels are critical priorities for achieving sustainability at the global level. GIS-integrated models further identify optimal plant locations, transportation modes, and supplier networks, demonstrating that transportation distance is a key driver of overall supply chain costs.

To support decision-making under multiple sustainability objectives, advanced evolutionary optimisation algorithms—including NSGA-II and multi-objective particle swarm optimisation—are applied to maximise economic performance, minimise environmental emissions, and promote job creation. Comparative analysis of these algorithms reveals trade-offs between solution quality, computational efficiency, and the diversity of Pareto-optimal solutions.

Overall, this research provides a comprehensive, multi-level decision-support framework for the planning and optimisation of sustainable renewable energy supply chains. The methodologies and findings offer practical insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers seeking to advance renewable energy systems, including biomass and hydrogen, while balancing economic performance, environmental protection, and social development.

Funding

RMIT University Research Stipend Scholarship

Journals

  • Zahraee, S.M. and Shiwakoti, N., 2025. A review of sustainable hydrogen energy by 2050: Supply chain, export markets, circular economy, social dimensions, and future prospects: Australia vs. worldwide. Sustainable Futures, 10, p.101070. doi: 10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101070
  • Zahraee, S. M., Shiwakoti, N., Stasinopoulos, P. (2024). Metaheuristic Optimization for Agricultural Biomass Supply Chain: Integrating Strategic, Tactical, and Operational Planning, Energies, 17(16), 4040. doi:10.3390/en17164040
  • Zahraee, S. M., Golroudbary, S. R., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2022). Palm oil biomass global supply chain: environmental emissions vs. technology development of maritime transportation. Procedia CIRP, 105, 817-822. doi:10.1016/j.procir.2022.02.135
  • Zahraee, S. M., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2022). Environmental emissions and cost vs. intermodal transportation technological development trade-off for the design of woody biomass supply chain. Procedia CIRP, 109, 134-139. doi:10.1016/j.procir.2022.05.226
  • Zahraee, S. M., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2022). Application of geographical information system and agent-based modeling to estimate particle-gaseous pollutant emissions and transportation cost of woody biomass supply chain. Applied Energy, 309, 1-21. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118482
  • Zahraee, S., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2022). Agricultural biomass supply chain resilience: COVID-19 outbreak vs. sustainability compliance, technological change, uncertainties, and policies. Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 4, 1-19. doi:10.1016/j.clscn.2022.100049
  • Zahraee, S. M., Golroudbary, S., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2021). Particle-Gaseous pollutant emissions and cost of global biomass supply chain via maritime transportation: Full-scale synergy model. Applied Energy, 303, 1-15. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117687
  • Zahraee, S. M., Golroudbary, S., Shiwakoti, N., Stasinopoulos, P., & Kraslawski, A. (2021). Economic and environmental assessment of biomass supply chain for design of transportation modes: Strategic and tactical decisions point of view. Procedia CIRP, 100, 780-785. doi:10.1016/j.procir.2021.05.044
  • Zahraee, S., Golroudbary, S., Shiwakoti, N., Stasinopoulos, P., & Kraslawski, A. (2020). Water-energy nexus and greenhouse gas–sulfur oxides embodied emissions of biomass supply and production system: A large scale analysis using combined life cycle and dynamic simulation approach. Energy Conversion and Management, 220, 1-15. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113113
  • Zahraee, S. M., & Shiwakoti, N. (2020). Transportation system analysis of empty fruit bunches biomass supply chain based on delivery cost and greenhouse gas emissions. Procedia Manufacturing, 1717-1722. doi:10.1016/j.promfg.2020.10.239
  • Zahraee, S. M., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2020). Biomass supply chain environmental and socio-economic analysis: 40-Years comprehensive review of methods, decision issues, sustainability challenges, and the way forward. Biomass and Bioenergy, 142, 1-33. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105777
  • Zahraee, S. M., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2020). A Review on Water-Energy-Greenhouse Gas Nexus of the Bioenergy Supply and Production System. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports, 7, 28-39. doi:10.1007/s40518-020-00147-3
  • Zahraee, S. M., Golroudbary, S., Shiwakoti, N., Kraslawski, A., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2019). An investigation of the environmental sustainability of palm biomass supply chains via dynamic simulation modeling: A case of Malaysia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 237, 1-15. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117740

Book Chapters

  • Zahraee, S.M., Maydanchi, M., Shiwakoti, N. and Stasinopoulos, P., 2024. Global biomass supply chain resilience optimization based on sustainability pillars. In SDGs in the Asia and Pacific Region (pp. 1579-1604). Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-17463-6_107

Conference paper

  • Zahraee, S. M., Shiwakoti, N., & Stasinopoulos, P. (2021). Simulation Scenario Analysis of Operational Day to Day Storage System of Biomass Supply Chain for a Power Plant Case Study Based on Logistic Cost and Transportation Emissions. In Thangaprakash Sengodan, M. Murugappan, & Sanjay Misra (Eds.), ICAECT 2021 (pp. 559-566). United States: IEEE. doi:10.1109/ICAECT49130.2021.9392411
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