102 research outputs found
Missing Networks in Europe
No full textNijkamp Peter, Maggi Rico, Masser Ian, Vleugel Jaap M., Blum U., Button Kenneth John, Gérardin Bernard, Giaoutzi Maria, Louw E., Konings J. W., Visser J. G., Bakis Henry. Missing Networks in Europe. In: NETCOM : Réseaux, communication et territoires / Networks and Communication Studies, vol. 6 n°1, janvier 1992. pp. 1-94
The impact of a CO2 reduction target on the private car fleet in the netherlands
No full textClimate change mitigation calls for a massive reduction in CO2-emissions from human sources. A primary human source is combustion of fossil fuels. Transport by road is one of the major and growing users of fossil fuels worldwide. Private cars with internal combustion engines dominate our roads. This paper discusses the feasibility of aligning CO2-emissions of private cars with the Paris Climate Agreement for 2030. It starts in 2010. Country of study is The Netherlands. The relation between climate change and air pollution is taken aboard. The following research questions will be addressed: How many private cars were there in The Netherlands, how many kilometres were driven and what were their CO2, NOx and PM10 emissions in 2010? What would these values be in the year 2030 assuming continuation of current trends in technology and policy? What could these values be if there were only full electric vehicles (FEV) on the road by 2030? Would behavioural change be necessary to reach the national CO2-reduction target for 2030? In the simulation model assumptions were used about car ownership and volume, electric cars, fuel efficiency and electricity mix. Car production could be limited to the most fuel-efficient and lowest emission electric cars. Buyers’ choice would become restricted. Fulfilling the Dutch CO2-emission reduction target for 2030 is only possible by using state-of-the-art technology in a fleet of 100% full electric cars (FEV) and a major reduction in yearly car kilometres (either per car or via fewer cars). This assumes a revolution in car production and sales and an active mobility reduction and modal shift policy. The first has just started, while the second and third are unlikely after decades of liberal policy-making, which has stimulated car mobility by expanding the road network, increasing maximum speeds and cutting public transport budgets.Transport and Plannin
The impact of hybrid engines on fuel consumption and emissions of heavy-duty trucks
No full textOverland transport of goods mainly goes by road. Road freight transport, trucking in particular, has a large share in the energy consumption, CO2-emissions and air pollution by human activities. This will become an even bigger issue with the expected massive growth of road freight transport.Climate change mitigation asks for a major reduction of CO2-emissions from human origin. Improvement of air quality is a second reason why trucking companies have to look for alternative engine-fuel configurations: Biodiesel, gas and electricity. The paper answers two research questions:1.New truck technologies are under way, what impact could these have on fuel consumption and emissions related with the fuel consumption of trucks?2.How realistic is large-scale introduction of these new technologies before the year 2030?A model was used to estimate the emissions of CO2, NOx and PM10 of a truck transporting goods along a pre-defined route consisting of city roads and highways. The volumes and composition of the emissions vary depending on the data entered by the user: Route/distance, fuel efficiency/consumption, emission factors and engine-fuel configuration. The model was used for a micro-simulation, but an extension towards a macro-simulation model is feasible. This would allow to estimate the impact on fuel consumption and emissions for a fleet of trucks. The model indicates that the main benefit of an alternative like biodiesel lies in the reduction of PM10-emissions. Electric trucking is necessary to drastically reduce CO2-emissions and air pollution.In a few years from now hybrid diesel-electric trucks will become common. Full-electric trucks energized by internal (hydrogen in fuel cells) and/or external (trolley-like, high density batteries) sources are feasible well before the year 2030. Electric trucking means a drastic change in the use of fuels with implications for the electricity grid as well.Keywords: Energy consumption, emissions, heavy-duty trucks, environment, conditions.Transport and Plannin
Some approaches to reduce transport time of intermodal services: Smart rail investments
No full textRail intermodal services are an alternative to all-road services if the average transport time offered by these services is at least comparable. One of the determinants of transport time is how well actors in the transport chain cooperate. In this paper it is shown that substantial improvements in rail transport time are possible if these actors improve their cooperation substantially. This goes along with relatively moderate investments (a few million Euros per case). Such investments may then be regarded as a cost-effective alternative for (multi-billion) investments in rail infrastructure. This is particularly relevant in an era where budgets for rail infrastructure are either limited or create an additional burden for already debt-ridden countries.Transport & PlanningCivil Engineering and Geoscience
Towards more environmentally sustainable intercontinental freight transport
No full textIn a world where the population and many economies are expanding rapidly the demand for freight transport keeps rising accordingly. As more goods are transported by a growing number of freight vehicles, in particular trucks and sea vessels, their already considerable negative environmental impact also rises. Technology advances, but demand growth (partially) counteracts its positive impact on fuel consumption and emissions. In road transport, CO2-emissions keep rising, while emissions of NOx and PM10 have been reduced, at least in those countries where the most advanced engine technologies are used, although locally serious problems may remain. In areas where such technologies are not available, more freight transport means higher emissions and negative health effects. Sea shipping sees increasing emission levels overall. Maritime transport and trucking dominate intercontinental freight transport. Modernisation of railways and roads offers opportunities to reduce emissions by using rail for part of the journey. In a market setting, this means that transport providers have to redesign transport chains. Some have done this already, while others are increasingly interested. To assess the potential, the following main research question was addressed: Is it possible to reduce emissions of CO2, NOx and PM10 by replacing the maritime leg of a transport service by road and/or rail transport in the corridor Antwerp (Belgium) – Shanghai (China) without logistic penalties? Various combinations of trucking, sea and rail transport were fed into a simulation model to estimate the accompanying emissions and trip times. Thenew services offer a complex range of positive and negative impacts; hence governments should carefully consider their support. In a simulation study only a very stylised representation of these services can be modelled. This leads to an advice for a more in-depth study to include additional (technical, service and cost) data.Transport and Plannin
Towards an adequate methodology for GHG emissions accounting in logistics: A case study at Heineken
No full textThere is no globally harmonised calculation methodology for GHG emissions in place, which hampers the ability to measure and report the environmental impact of logistics operations. This paper is aimed at developing an adequate GHG emissions accounting methodology for cross-border multi-modal logistics at Heineken and at generalising the findings to a broader context. It investigates current developments and challenges by means of a literature study and an in-depth case study at Heineken, accompanied with interviews with similar industry players. The numerous challenges that are identified within this research relate to the assessment boundaries, the calculation and allocation approach, the internal activity data, and the external default data. In an effort to deal with the challenges, the GLEC framework has been developed to create a universal framework for calculating logistics emissions by integrating existing methods and tools. The GLEC framework is applied as cornerstone for the design of an updated methodology. Moreover, its ability to positively contribute to the accounting principles: materiality, completeness, accuracy, comparability and verifiability, is assessed. The findings indicate that the alignment with the framework solves some of the challenges, but others remain unresolved. The reported total carbon footprint of Heineken’s outbound transport is increased with 7.5% if the operational improvements with regards to the GLEC alignment are implemented. Additional operational and strategic improvements are suggested, which require effort from Heineken and other stakeholders within the supply chain: political parties, research institutes, LSPs, carries, and shippers. The majority of the suggested improvements can be generalised to industry peers with a multi-modal and crossborder supply chain. Moreover, the findings contribute to the scientific field of research by indicating that the GLEC framework has potential to increase the ability to adequately account for GHG emissions of logistics operations. However, enhancements to increase its potential are proposed
Strategies to Regulate Inbound Logistics at Convention Centers: A Case Study at the RAI Amsterdam
No full textConvention centers are facing logistic challenges due to poor performance, lack of space and governmental regulations. This research is focused on finding strategies that can improve performance while maintaining or reducing space and complying to these governmental regulations. In this research three main strategies are introduced that can improve logistic performance at conventioncenters. These main strategies are: a truck appointment system, extended operational times and cross-docking. Besides these strategies specific designs are made for the case of the RAI Amsterdam. These designs differ in infrastructure and material handling equipment such as automated vehicles. It was found that implementation of a truck appointment system, extended operational times and cross-docking can improve the performance of convention center logistics. Further improvements can be made by adjusting the infrastructure and by the use of automated vehicles.Transport, Infrastructure and Logistic
Clusters and spatial planning - Towards a research program
No full textLand is regarded as an important location factor by business firms. Firms change location due to internal and external factors and these changes should be accommodated by spatial reservations, subsequent land development and finally building of offices, plants or transhipment sheds. Business use of land competes with other uses of land, such as housing, leisure or nature. Spatial planning tries to balance these demands. Its success depends on finding criteria to justify a certain balance between economic and ecological interests or between different economic interests. Land-use should be included into a discussion about environmental sustainability. Spatial optimization would come at the agenda of firms and governments more often than is the case now. Yet, there is the issue of economic dynamics, which could be reduced if not all demands for new land are accommodated, at least according to business. This paper introduces a research program into the linkages between regional-economic-and spatial planning. It discusses the main ideas of this research program
Optimizing Packaging Availability for Reverse Logistics: A case study at ASML
No full textBackground: The domain of Reverse Logistics, which is lately coming more in the forefront, will serve as the focal point of this project. In the electronics industry, the importance of facilitating safe movements is constantly increasing. In order to prevent escalating the chances of damage, products have to be transported with adequate protective layers. Nevertheless, shipments with incomplete packaging are occurring, leading to damaged products arriving at the supplier side. This research aims to explore how can the packaging availability for reverse logistics be optimized in order to reduce the risk of non-repairable parts. Research Approach: The steps of the Lean approach named Define Measure Analyze Design Evaluate (DMADE) will form the backbone of the project. Literature revealed congruence on the fact that Reverse Logistics packaging is a common barrier for establishing efficient return flows. A case study at ASML is performed and the structure of the supply chain and the packaging flows are explained. Next to that, the most relevant product family is identified and the current performance of the system, in terms of packaging availability, is measured. The analysis of the current state, with the usage of 3 Lean tools (VSM-I, TIMWOODS, Ishikawa diagram), follows and based on the analysis outcomes, 9 conceptual designs are introduced in the design phase. In order to eliminate the less relevant ones, a Multi-Criteria Analysis is performed and after the requirement analysis is taken into consideration, the 2 most promising design alternatives are explained in more detail. Lastly, the evaluation phase with the mathematical model comes to assess how well each of the generated scenarios score in the decision parameter criteria. These are the Repair Success Rate, the Financial Performance and the fit with the Lean strategy. Results: After the evaluation took place, it was proved that scenario 1 results in the higher Repair Success Rate (70%), but the associated financial performance of €4,5K is barely positive. This scenario also leads to the shortest replenishment lead times of 45 days and the minimum stock levels. Scenario 3 proves to yield the highest earnings, leading to €485K, with significant tied-up capital release. As for scenario 2, the financial loss of €144K combined with the intermediate lead time and Repair Success Rate of 61% make it less attractive. Finally, scenario 4 is expected to have the highest risk of non-repairable parts (52%) and the greatest lead time of 64 days. Nevertheless, the economic gains of €267K might still place this alternative in the favorable bucket. Conclusion: The risk of supplying vendors with non-repairable parts can be truly alleviated by the installation of inspections gates and more precisely with clean bench equipment. This design will form a structural solution enabling a feedback loop towards the required stakeholders (CS Engineers, Development & Engineering) while allowing at the same time root-cause resolution of the issues found. Clean bench inspections will enable validation of the return quality and also help in addressing the quality gaps. Moreover, the supply of spare packaging materials to the customers’ cleanroom is found to have a considerable positive effect on the reverse operations. Next to that, by rolling-out such a design configuration the intense pressure within the customers’ cleanroom environment will be relieved and thus, the customer satisfaction is expected to rise. Finally, the pro-active interference for investigating the quality of the return flow yields to valuable time savings.Transport, Infrastructure and Logistic
Clusters and spatial planning - Towards a research program
No full textLand is regarded as an important location factor by business firms. Firms change location due to internal and external factors and these changes should be accommodated by spatial reservations, subsequent land development and finally building of offices, plants or transhipment sheds. Business use of land competes with other uses of land, such as housing, leisure or nature. Spatial planning tries to balance these demands. Its success depends on finding criteria to justify a certain balance between economic and ecological interests or between different economic interests. Land-use should be included into a discussion about environmental sustainability. Spatial optimization would come at the agenda of firms and governments more often than is the case now. Yet, there is the issue of economic dynamics, which could be reduced if not all demands for new land are accommodated, at least according to business. This paper introduces a research program into the linkages between regional-economic-and spatial planning. It discusses the main ideas of this research program.
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