A simulation model for capacity planning in sugarcane transport

Several mill regions within the Australian sugar industry are currently exploring long-term scenarios to reduce costs in the harvesting and rail transport of sugarcane. These efficiencies can be achieved through extending the time window of harvesting, reducing the number of harvesters, and investing in new or upgraded infrastructures. As part of a series of integrated models to conduct the analysis, we developed a capacity planning model for transport to estimate the (1) number of locomotives and shifts required; (2) the number of bins required; and (3) the delays to harvesting operations resulting from harvesters waiting for bin deliveries. The model is based on the principles of stochastic simulation, rather than producing a transport schedule, which gives advantages of flexibility and ease of application. We applied the model in partnership with growing, harvesting and milling representatives at a sugar region in Australia for which one of the scenarios produced by the model was implemented by all harvesters within the region during 2003. The simulation model was also extended to optimise harvester start times, to explore further opportunities for reducing costs.