Improving Energy Efficiency in a Synchronized Road-Transportation System by Using a TFMC (Transportation Fleet-Management Control) in Finland

Previous studies have suggested that the use of high-capacity transportation (HCT) can lead to low-carbon road-transportation in the forest industry. This study shows the impacts (in terms of energy efficiency) of a three-year adaptation process of transportation (2014–2016) towards HCT that took place in a synchronized transportation system (STS). The use of three transportation fleet-management control (TFMC) methods was analyzed in various road infrastructures. Energy-efficiency calculations were undertaken based on the HCT vehicles’ mass limits (64, 68 and 76 t). The use of 76 t vehicles increased energy efficiency by 13.4% and reduced CO2 emissions by 3.5% (to 49.6 g/tkm). In addition, the results show that the energy efficiency of the STS could be improved by a further 3.1%. In this respect, the proposed TFMC was used to adjust the STS towards vehicle-group transportation while meeting the road-class constraints of local wood supply chains. Forest-industry companies in Finland and abroad can use the tailored TFMC to optimize the STS in the near future and to achieve the energy-efficient STS and the regulations of the European Commission in wood-procurement logistics.

[1]  Staffan Berg,et al.  Energy use and environmental impacts of forest operations in Sweden , 2005 .

[2]  Karl Stampfer,et al.  Analyzing time and fuel consumption in road transport of round wood with an onboard fleet manager , 2011, European Journal of Forest Research.

[3]  Maja Piecyk,et al.  Measurement of CO2 emissions from road freight transport: A review of UK experience , 2009 .

[4]  J. Korhonen.  Four ecosystem principles for an industrial ecosystem , 2001 .

[5]  Han-Sup Han,et al.  Life Cycle Impacts of Redwood Forest Resource Harvesting in Northern California , 2013 .

[6]  Ajit K. Srivastava,et al.  Environmental impacts of roundwood supply chain options in Michigan: life-cycle assessment of harvest and transport stages , 2014 .

[7]  Anne Toppinen,et al.  The role of environmental regulation in the future competitiveness of the pulp and paper industry: the case of the sulfur emissions directive in Northern Europe. , 2015 .

[8]  Cerry M. Klein,et al.  A decision support tool for energy efficient synchromodal supply chains , 2018, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[9]  Teijo Palander,et al.  Impacts of interenterprise collaboration and backhauling on wood procurement in Finland , 2005 .

[10]  J. Merkisz,et al.  Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions in the process of mechanized timber extraction and transport , 2017, European Journal of Forest Research.

[11]  Patrik Thollander,et al.  Beyond barriers - A case study on driving forces for improved energy efficiency in the foundry industries in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden , 2013 .

[12]  J. Klemeš,et al.  A review on air emissions assessment: Transportation , 2018, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[13]  P. González.  Analysing the factors influencing clean technology adoption: a study of the Spanish pulp and paper industry , 2005 .

[14]  Ernst Worrell,et al.  Energy efficiency in the German pulp and paper industry – A model-based assessment of saving potentials , 2012 .

[15]  Teijo Palander,et al.  The environmental emission efficiency of larger and heavier vehicles – A case study of road transportation in Finnish forest industry , 2017 .

[16]  Barry Moore,et al.  Paper extracted from the JTRC report MOVING FREIGHT WITH BETTER TRUCKS: IMPROVING SAFETY, PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY , 2010 .

[17]  Alan C. McKinnon,et al.  The economic and environmental benefits of increasing maximum truck weight: the British experience , 2005 .

[18]  Heikki Liimatainen,et al.  Trends of energy efficiency in Finnish road freight transport 1995–2009 and forecast to 2016 , 2010 .

[19]  Ana Cláudia Dias,et al.  Cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment of forest operations in Europe: environmental and energy profiles , 2014 .

[20]  Pekka Ahtila,et al.  Improvement of Pulp Mill Energy Efficiency in an Integrated Pulp and Paper Mill , 2000 .

[21]  L. Price,et al.  Opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. pulp and paper industry , 2000 .

[22]  Annual Report on European SMEs 2016 / 2017 Focus on self-employment SME Performance , 2022 .

[23]  Patrik Thollander,et al.  Energy policies for increased industrial energy efficiency: Evaluation of a local energy programme for manufacturing SMEs , 2007 .

[24]  D. Fjeld,et al.  The impact of road geometry, surface roughness and truck weight on operating speed of logging trucks , 2017 .

[25]  Esa Hämäläinen,et al.  Energy efficiency at the paper mill—dilemma of improvement , 2017 .

[26]  Edie Sonne,et al.  Greenhouse gas emissions from forestry operations: a life cycle assessment. , 2006, Journal of environmental quality.

[27]  Leif Gustavsson,et al.  CO2 emission and oil use reduction through black liquor gasification and energy efficiency in pulp and paper industry , 2008 .

[28]  Kalle Kärhä,et al.  Towards sustainable wood procurement in forest industry – The energy efficiency of larger and heavier vehicles in Finland , 2018, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

[29]  Mikael Ottosson,et al.  An energy efficient Swedish pulp and paper industry – exploring barriers to and driving forces for cost-effective energy efficiency investments , 2008 .

[30]  Agneta Ghose,et al.  Environmental aspects of Norwegian production of pulp fibres and printing paper , 2013 .

[31]  T. Palander,et al.  Potential Mechanisms for Co-operation between Transportation Entrepreneurs and Customers: A Case Study of Regional Entrepreneurship in Finland , 2012 .

[32]  Magdalena Svanström,et al.  Climate impact assessment in life cycle assessments of forest products : implications of method choice for results and decision making , 2016 .

[33]  J. Korhonen,et al.  A material and energy flow model for co-production of heat and power , 2002 .

[34]  Esa Vakkilainen,et al.  Energy Efficiency in the Brazilian Pulp and Paper Industry , 2012 .

[35]  Teijo Palander,et al.  Environmental benefits from improving transportation efficiency in wood procurement systems , 2016 .

[36]  Lihong Peng,et al.  Analysis of energy efficiency and carbon dioxide reduction in the Chinese pulp and paper industry , 2015 .