Designing a GIS‐based supply chain for producing carinata‐based sustainable aviation fuel in Georgia, USA

Abstract

Carinata is a potential crop for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in the southern USA. However, as a novel crop, the cost‐effectiveness and environmental feasibility of carinata feedstock are unknown, and there are questions about the optimal supply chain configuration for carinata‐based SAF production. This study aims to design a supply chain model for carinata‐based SAF production by optimizing the location of farms and facilities (e.g. storage units, crushing mills, biorefineries) for a minimum transportation cost under a set of supply and demand conditions. An integrated mixed‐integer linear programming (MILP) model was combined with geographical information system (GIS) analysis to design a spatially explicit supply chain configuration. The GIS‐based network analysis considered all of the counties in Georgia to set the candidate locations of carinata farms and facilities, and determined minimum cost and emission routes between those counties and the airport using existing transportation networks and modes (e.g. road, rail and pipeline). The MILP model determined the final selection of the farms and the number of facilities and their locations over those minimum‐cost routes. With this supply chain configuration, the minimum price of SAF was $0.92 L ⁻¹, which is $0.44 higher than conventional aviation fuel (CAF). The associated carbon intensity of SAF was estimated at 940.7 g CO ₂e L ⁻¹, a reduction of 66% relative to the carbon intensity of equivalent CAF. The study found that a carbon tax (or subsidy) of $230.48 t CO ₂e ⁻¹ would be needed to overcome the cost differential with CAF and promote carinata‐based SAF in Georgia.