Synthesis of flexible palm oil-based regional energy supply chain

Empty fruit bunch (EFB) is among the palm oil biomass residues that have been identified as the most abundant bioenergy resources in Malaysia. EFB has a good potential to meet the targeted share of renewable energy in Malaysia. A model to synthesize an EFB-based regional energy supply chain with minimum carbon footprint had been presented recently. This work has further extended the model to allow for operational flexibility under multiple biomass supply scenarios (due to plant shut down, seasonality, etc). A case study is presented to elucidate the model.