Alternative mixed-integer linear programming models of a maritime inventory routing problem

•Continuous time models and reformulations for maritime inventory routing with single docks.•An extended model based on event points is presented to handle parallel docks.•A discrete time model based on a single commodity fixed-charge network flow problem is described.•The computational performance of the models is compared on multiple instances of six problems.

A single product maritime inventory routing problem is addressed in this paper by exploring the use of continuous and discrete time models. We first present a continuous time model based on time slots for single docks, which is enhanced by reformulating the time assignment constraints. Next, we present a model based on event points to handle parallel docks. A discrete time is also presented based on a single commodity fixed-charge network flow problem (FCNF). All the models are solved for multiple randomly generated instances of different problems to compare their computational efficiency, and to illustrate the solutions obtained.