Regresar

Cargo routing and scheduling problem in deep-sea transportation: Case study from a fertilizer company

Abstract:

This study presents a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and a solution method for a maritime cargo routing and shipping problem faced by a chemical company in Brazil. This problem is associated with the operational planning of multiple raw materials, collected from European ports and delivered to Brazilian ones to supply mixing production plants. First, the problem is modeled as a pickup and delivery problem with time windows, incorporating several constraints and operational requisites of the specific problem. In order to solve large real-world instances, a matheuristic was developed, employing a modified relax-and-fix strategy, a relaxation procedure, and repair and polishing routines for MILP solutions. The matheuristic was evaluated using real-life instances provided by the company, demonstrating the efficiency and efficacy of the developed solution method.