Site selection decision for biomass cogeneration projects from a sustainable perspective: A case study of China

Biomass energy has made significant contributions to energy demand and environmental protection. The purpose of this study is to establish a new integrated method adapted to the site selection of biomass cogeneration projects. The highlight lies in the integration of Multiple Criterion Decision Making methods with Geographic Information System at different stages. This study takes Henan Province as an example to introduce the application of this model. Stage I preliminary screening stage: use Geographic Information System and Fuzzy Best Worst Method to classify the suitability level of project site selection within the research area. Identify alternative solutions in areas with high suitability and large patch area. Stage II selection stage: Calculate the indicator weights using Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation method first; Then use the Multi-attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison method to select the optimal factory site. Using geographic information system technology, the factory is selected to be built in an area with a suitable value greater than 7 in Xiangcheng County, Zhoukou City. Finally, the obstacle model diagnoses the direction of optimizing the location environment. This study provides a theoretical reference for the new construction, renovation and expansion of biomass cogeneration projects.