Developing a green-resilient power network and supply chain: Integrating renewable and traditional energy sources in the face of disruptions

In the presence of increasing rates of disruptions, resilient and sustainable power networks are crucial for the performance of supply chains. Integrating renewable power grid with existing infrastructure can yield substantial benefits. Furthermore, the integrated design of the power network and supply chain is beneficial due to their mutual impact. This research focuses on designing an integrated power grid that incorporates renewable energy sources while fortifying traditional power infrastructure. The study investigates the impact on economic and environmental objectives, effectiveness in managing disruptions, and optimal timing for establishing renewable power networks on network design decisions. To this end, a bi-objective robust model is developed to design a green-resilient supply chain, considering power system disruptions, uncertainty in renewable energy supply and risk mitigation strategies. Given the inherent computational complexity of the problem, a heuristics method is presented. The proposed model and solution method are conducted in an Iranian dairy company and power network. Results revealed that across different perturbation levels of renewable energies, the integrated networks with renewable energies and fortification were found to be the most effective while non-resilient networks incurred the highest cost. The integration of renewable energy alone reduced costs by 13 %, and combining it with other strategies resulted in a 22 % cost benefit. While, fortification alone did not significantly reduce emissions, but the resilient network with fortification and renewable energies reduced emissions and unmet demand by 28.5 % and 33.4 %, respectively. Prioritizing renewable energy development is crucial during disruptions, and early integration improves network resilience.