Open AccessRanking of hydropower projects based on sustainability criteria in India using multicriteria decision making methods
Author(s) -
Anuja Shaktawat,
Shelly Vadhera
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
croatian operational research review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.176
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1848-9931
pISSN - 1848-0225
DOI - 10.17535/crorr.2021.0007
Subject(s) - topsis , multiple criteria decision analysis , analytic hierarchy process , ranking (information retrieval) , electre , hydropower , sustainability , flexibility (engineering) , management science , computer science , ideal solution , operations research , engineering , mathematics , artificial intelligence , ecology , statistics , physics , electrical engineering , biology , thermodynamics
Assessment of hydropower projects with respect to sustainability criteria is a multidimensional and complex issue. It requires considering technical, environmental, and social parameters instead of purely economic ones in decision making for energy planning. The flexibility to consider several criteria and objectives simultaneously leads to the use of multicriteria decision making (MCDM) methods which are well accepted in the field of energy planning. This paper aims at applying MCDM methods in facilitating the decision makers to select the most sustainable hydropower projects in the Indian region by making real and logical choices based on eight important criteria selected from the literature that are compatible with sustainable development. To comprehensively rank hydropower projects three MCDM methods are applied i.e., the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE II), and elimination and choice translating reality (ELECTRE III). Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to calculate the weights of criteria. All three methods are well adapted for sustainability assessment and ranked Sharavathi (A9), Bhakra (A2), and Upper Indravati (A13) to be the most sustainable hydropower projects in India under the selected criteria. The study will be helpful in sustainable energy planning of hydropower projects with similar geographical conditions.