Logistical Chains in the Amazon: Environmental Impact Focused on Energy Consumption

Manaus Industrial Pole (PIM) is located in Manaus Amazonas State, Brazil and it is an important complex in Latin America. It covers more than 400 companies with high indexes of technological innovation and productivity. PIM goals the sustainable use of the economic potentialities, creating new jobs and a better income distribution. The PIM is interconnected to the country’s, Southern and Southeastern by air, river and land. In this scenery, logistical chains are important to industrial competitiveness and sustainability. The purpose of this work is to study the supply chain analysis on consumer goods from PIM, focused in environmental issues. The methodology used to develop this study was the theoretical analysis of the logistical chains applied in the PIM. Data concerning different logistical processes were evaluated as a function of their distance, transport and energy consumption. The following freight transportations were analyzed: overland, cargo ship and aircraft. The Index of Environmental Impact (IEI) was built to present the influence of each transport and logistical process used in the PIM. According to the evaluation made in this paper, the model of IEI leads the rank of energy consumption of different logistical chains of consumer goods. Regarding energy consumption the IEI presented the following rate: aircraft > overland > cargo ship. IEI was developed to PIM activities; however, it can be applied in other supply chains and different sceneries.