Practice Summary: Deriving the Optimal Location of a Biorefinery in Northern Spain

AbstractThe authors developed a mathematical programming model to assist the Government of Navarre in Spain in determining the best location for a biorefinery in northern Spain.This work highlights how mathematical programming modeling supported the decision-making process of locating a biorefinery in Northern Spain. Through close cooperation with relevant stakeholders, we considered a wide range of influencing factors such as supply and storage strategies, transport infrastructure, and individual characteristics of biomass products. The findings of this study provided decision makers with a ranking of potential locations and highlighted the importance of facilitating intermediate storage points for supplying the biorefinery. Currently, the Government of Navarre (Spain) is evaluating the results for its economic sustainability and plans to make the final decision on one of the top-ranked locations in the near future.