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Welcome to BENOPTex

BENOPTex is an open-source optimization modeling framework for investigating future transformation scenarios for energetic biomass usage in the transport, power, heat sectors and chemical industries. It also incorporates relevant non-energy sectors such as forestry, agriculture, soil management, and wetland management to effectively assess LULUCF targets and broader bioeconomy for GHG reduction.

BENOPTex

This will enable researchers and system analysts to better analyze and understand the role of dispatchable renewable energy within the system and provide actionable insights for policymakers on how to strategically integrate these resources into a country's long-term climate strategy while balancing environmental and techno-economic constraints.

GitLab

License

Documentation

Key Features ✨

See if BENOPTex is the perfect match for your project by checking out these key features:

  • Large-scale optimization: BenOPTex is designed for high-resolution spatial and temporal models.

  • Flexible formulation: Modular constraint blocks allow easy customization for different research questions.

  • MATLAB & GAMS-based workflow: Input data preparation, and result analysis all in MATLAB, while the core optimization model building is implemented using GAMS (General Algebraic Modeling System).

  • Multi-objective optimization: In addition to minimizing system costs, greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement targets can also be considered as an objective function.

  • Open source: BSD-3-Clause licensed and hosted on GitLab.

🛠️ Tool Properties

  • ⚡ Speed: Optimized for real-time processing.
  • ⚙️ Customization: Fully editable configuration files.
  • 🔒 Privacy: End-to-end encrypted data handling.

  • Getting Started

    Install BenOPTex and run your first model. Installation

  • Model Description

    Mathematical formulation — sets, parameters, variables, constraints. Model Overview

  • API Reference

    Auto-generated documentation from source code docstrings. Reference

  • Contributing

    How to report issues, suggest features, and contribute code. Contributing Guide

Installation

From source:

git clone https://git.ufz.de/sadr/benoptex-modeling-framework.git

cd benoptex

Recent Publication

To view the list of recent publications and projects, please visit: Publications and projects

Citation

If you use BENOPTex for your project or research, we would appreciate it if you cite the sources:

  • Aliabadi, D.E., Chan, K., Wulff, N., Meisel, K., Jordan, M., Österle, I., Pregger, T. and Thrän, D., 2023. Future renewable energy targets in the EU: Impacts on the German transport. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 124, p.103963.

  • Millinger, M., Tafarte, P., Jordan, M., Musonda, F., Chan, K., Meisel, K. and Aliabadi, D.E., 2022. A model for cost-and greenhouse gas optimal material and energy allocation of biomass and hydrogen. SoftwareX, 20, p.101264.

  • Jordan, M., Lenz, V., Millinger, M., Oehmichen, K. and Thrän, D., 2019. Future competitive bioenergy technologies in the German heat sector: Findings from an economic optimization approach. Energy, 189, p.116194.

  • M. Sadr, D. Esmaeili Aliabadi, M. Jordan, D. Thrän, A bottom–up regional potential assessment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in germany, Environmental Research Letters 19 (2024) 114047.

Contact

If you have any questions, need support with any issues or are interested in contributing, please get in touch: benoptex-support@.ufz.de

License

BENOPTex is released under the open source GPL License. The documentation is licensed under CC-BY-4.0.

Authors and acknowledgement

The methodological, software, data curation and content-related development of BENOPTex is continuously managed and maintained by Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and has received support by the German Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF).

Department of System Analysis and Sustainability Assessment(Renewable Energies), research systems modelling of biomass usage as well as spatial analyses of all renewable energies. It covers all renewables and energy sectors, including also some parts of the wider bioeconomy, such as chemistry.

  • Danial Esmaeili Aliabadi
  • Matthias Jordan
  • Mohammad Sadr
  • Sandra Gutjahr
  • Isabella Kreller
  • Ágnes Csilla T. Szabó