Planning an integrated petrochemical industry with an environmental objective

Production planning in the petrochemical industry requires a model that can account for the different interactions, needs, and features and provide at the same time suitable mathematical representation. In this work, a model with an environmental objective is presented. The system is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model where new value-added products are produced from the basic feedstock chemicals. From the superstructure of the technology alternatives, the optimal set of processes is selected with the objective function of sustainability. The quest for pollution prevention a nd increased pressure and demand for environmental considerations makes sus tainability an important objective function. In this study, sustainability is quantified by a health index of the chemicals and increasing profit repr esented by process-added value. The model is applied to the case study of p lanning the development of the Kuwait petrochemical industry. Results give an optimal structure for the development and prove that simple indicators c an represent sustainability, giving good results in selecting environmental ly friendly processes and at the same time being profitable.