Energy efficiency in processing of natural raw materials under consideration of uncertainties

The processing of natural resources involves many variations of uncertainties as the natural resources themselves vary in their composition. Since the weather influences harvest quality, natural products are strongly affected by weather conditions. Excessive rainfall increases the water content of products, while a lack of rain may cause the whole harvest to dry out. Due to the varying soil conditions also the quality of wheat, measured, for example, by its protein or starch content, varies from region to region. During the processing of natural products, as presented in this case study for animal feed, the produced compound feed can change its composition as well, for example by raising the starch content through the addition of hot steam to wheat grains. As the processing of natural raw materials as compound feed consumes a lot of energy, producers aim to decrease costs related to energy consumption without decreasing the product's quality. In addition, energy efficient production also leads to lower CO2 emissions. This paper highlights the energy efficiency challenges during the processing of natural resources in feed processing and gives advice on how to cope with uncertainties by reaching the goal of achieving a constant product quality.