A study of the locations of intermodal terminals in the brazilian network for soybean exports

Abstract

Soybean is one of the most important Brazilian agricultural products. Of the entire volume of soybean produced in Brazil, approximately 40% is for export. As soybean crops are mainly concentrated in the center of the country, the soybeans generally must travel large distances to reach the seaports. In this case, intermodal transport can enable the movement of large volumes over long distances in a more efficient and economic manner. In this study, we analyze the application of a mathematical programming model to support decisions on the soybean flows and the locations of intermodal terminals. Based on secondary data, three alternative networks are proposed, with different coverage areas and the possibility of using railroads in construction or the design phase. The primary soybean producing states and traders were considered. Experiments with the model resulted in identification of the transport flows and the location of terminals consistent with reality. Alternative scenarios for the network were also analyzed, showing the potential of this analysis optimization tool.

Keywords
Network for soybean exports; Mixed integer linear programming; Facility location problem; Network flows; Intermodal terminals