Multi-objective Fuel Supply for Coal-fired Power Plants Under Emission, Transportation and Operational Constraints

Coal-fired power plants need to decrease their generation cost in deregulated power markets so as to be selected, dispatched, and compete with other, cheaper, resources. On the other hand, coal prices have risen significantly, and extra costs for SO2 and NOx emission outputs are imposed that force power companies to lower the costs for the fuel-coal supply process. In this article, a multi-objective model for supplier, transportation, and coal order selection is developed for the coal supply of electric power plants in an environment where multiple suppliers, coal contracts, and multimode transportation routes exist. The model simultaneously optimizes multiple objectives such as minimizing purchase, transportation, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides costs and carbon dioxide and ash outputs of coal. Multi-objective linear programming and analytic hierarchy process are employed to solve the problem. The solution methodology is applied in a case study in the Midwestern United States and the alternative evaluation process is presented. It is shown that the model can be used by the power companies to find a desired solution for their coal supply and hence generate power with coal of lower cost, lower emission, and ash.