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There is a growing demand for alternative forms of energy that could firstly replace fossil fuels, with the environmental advantages resulting therefrom, but that could be as well economically more beneficial by allowing companies to obtain competitive advantages from the aforementioned alternative forms of energy. In this sense, the use of waste to produce thermal energy is presented as an alternative worthy of study. In this paper, an analysis is made of the use of waste from the textile industry, more precisely cotton waste, which is used as a renewable resource for the production of thermal energy. After the characterization of the waste, the energetic potential is determined comparatively to other fuels such as woodchips and wood pellets. A comparative economic assessment with other fuels is carried out. The obtained results show that the cotton briquettes have a heating value of 16.80 MJ/kg and a cost of 0.006 €/kWh when used as fuel. This predicts an annual reduction in fuel cost of 80, 75 and 70% when compared with fuel-oil, wood pellets and wood chips, respectively. Thus, the use of cotton waste could be a viable alternative, economically and environmentally, to produce thermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is an increasing pressure to decarbonize and meet energy demands. In this regard, the usage of renewable energy sources is becoming more prominent. Biomass energy can significantly contribute to this effort. However, due to logistical costs, its exploitation is often considered less 'desirable.' Sometimes, particularly in the context of residual biomass, open burning on site is desirable. This study aims to optimize the residual biomass supply chain by leveraging digitalization's advantages, thereby creating a new model for this purpose. Methodologically, this research initially adopted an empirical approach, analyzing documents from a project that recreated the current scenario. In its second phase, the study involved a literature review to gather insights needed for developing the final model. Consequently, this study offers three major contributions: a detailed mapping of the current scenario, a comprehensive synthesis of the potentials of emerging technologies in the supply chain, and a model illustrating the integration of these technologies in the context of residual biomass. Thus, this research presents an opportunity to transform a common 'leftover' into a value-added material. To better assess the model's value, two analyses, PEST and SWOT, were conducted to align the conceptual proposal with real-world contexts. • Residual biomass is rarely used due to its logistical costs. • Digitalization could potentiate the of supply chains optimization. • Technologies 4.0 can boost renewable energy use and reducing the risk of fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biomass industry is growing due to the current search for greener and more sustainable alternatives to fossil energy sources. However, this industry, due to its singularity, presents several challenges and disadvantages related to the transportation of raw materials, with the large volumes that are usually involved. This project aimed to address this internal logistics situation in torrefied biomass pellets production with two different biomass storage parks, located in Portugal. The main park receives raw material coming directly from the source and stores it in large amounts as a backup and strategic storage park. The second park, with smaller dimensions, precedes the production unit and must be stocked daily. Therefore, a fleet of transport units with self-unloading cranes is required to help to unload the biomass at the main park and transport the raw material from this park to the one preceding the production unit. Thus, the main goal was to determine the dimensions of the fleet used in internal transportation operations to minimize the idle time of the transport units using a methodology already in use in the mining and quarrying industry. This methodology was analyzed and adapted to the situation presented here. The implementation of this study allows the elimination of unnecessary costs in an industry where the profit margins are low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]