Resumo

MARQUEZ, Luis Gabriel. OPTIMIZATION OF A COMBINED EXPORT COAL TRANSPORT NETWORK FROM THE INTERIOR OF COLOMBIA. Rev.EIA.Esc.Ing.Antioq [online]. 2011, n.16, pp. 103-113. ISSN 1794-1237.

A combined transport network is studied with planning perspective in 2019, in order to identify optimal routes for transporting coal from centrally located sites within Colombia to export ports. Methodology based on the solution to minimum cost flow problem is used, including transport networks: road, river and railway, in a model composed of 34.000 km represented in 1.864 links. Both new rail and new export port infrastructure are included in the model. Model indicates centrally located coal within Colombia must be transported through the port of Barranquilla, using integration strategies, such as rail-river and road-river. The importance of the Magdalena River as strategic transport infrastructure is highlighted and three cargo transfer centers are identified near Barrancabermeja, Bocas del Carare and Capulco, which together could handle 18 million tons of coal per year.

Palavras-chave : coal transportation; combined transport network; minimum cost flow; network optimization.