Supply chains can drive innovation and scale up sustainable solutions to address environmental challenges!
This was the sentiment shared by a team of Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) students and their professor, Dr. Yousef Abu Nahleh, as they presented their used cooking oil (UCO) recycling project at the COP28 conference in Dubai. The team of students, consisting of Mouza Alketbi, Nada Bushlaibi, Safeya Saeed, Afra Safar, and Fatima Alshamsi, took center stage to showcase their green project focused on using UCO for sustainable biodiesel supply chains in the United Arab Emirates. Here are snapshots from the presentations of the team.
In the top pictures students Safeya Saeed and Mouza Alketbi explain their work to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future. Below, Safeya Saeed presents their startup company, Enviroride, that plans to make their UCO supply chain project a reality. And the students, the ministers, and their professor pose for a group picture.
The team’s dedication to sustainability extends to their proposed solution of powering school buses with the biodiesel produced by the UCO collected from households and restaurants, contributing to a cleaner and greener transportation sector.
The heart of their project lies in the creation of an efficient UCO collection network. Using the Center-of-Gravity Method, the team determined optimal locations for collection bins in each district of Dubai, enabling an easy-to-manage, low-cost, and high-impact approach. They explored different collection networks using SCM Globe to create supply chain models using supply chain entities such as Products (UCO), Facilities (collection bins, hub warehouses, biodiesel factory), Vehicles (trucks), and Routes, all meticulously designed for maximum effectiveness. One of the supply chain models is shown on the mobile phone screen display next to Safeya Saeed.
Simulations run for 14+ days provided valuable insights into daily production quantities, carbon emissions, operational costs, and overall performance of the UCO collection network. The team went further to create Profit & Loss Reports and Key Performance Indicators, offering a comprehensive analysis of the supply chain’s financial and operational efficiency.
Learn more about this UCO supply chain project in our previous blog article titled: “A Circular and Sustainable Biofuel Supply Chain”.
In their presentation, the team highlighted the critical role their project plays in addressing transportation-related air pollution, aligning with the UAE’s Vision 2021 National Goal to enhance air quality. The students, all pursuing Bachelor of Industrial Engineering Technology (IET) at HCT, demonstrated the biodiesel supply chain model and simulation and how it addresses the environmental concerns, promotes renewable energy, and cultivates a sense of environmental responsibility.
We are proud to assist the students and their professor in their outstanding work on this important project. Their efforts are a testament to the power of supply chain education and innovation in addressing global sustainability challenges.