An Experimental Research of Small Hydropower Plant Investments Selection in Turkey by Carrot2, DEXi, DEXiTree

Abstract

Nowadays, human daily lives depend very much to electricity. Hence, electricity generation plays a key role not only in countries' economies, but also in people's welfare and comfort in any region. This situation isn't also different for Turkey. Turkish electricity generation policy gives the opportunity for foreign and domestic private investments plans and schemes. Private investors have many private power plant investment options to invest in Turkey. One of the main groups is hydropower plants. Small hydropower plant investments are grouped under the hydropower plant investments. Their characteristics are very different from other types of hydropower plants. This experimental research study investigates the possibility of using a qualitative Multi Attribute Decision Making (MADM) model based on DEXi (Decision EXpert for Education) and DEXiTree software. Attributes in the current experimental research model are analyzed by help of a text mining tool Carrot2. In the experimental case study, the most appropriate small hydropower plant investments amongst five alternative ones at the predevelopment investment stages (an assumption) in Turkey are evaluated, and prioritized by help of seventeen basic factors (catchment area, project runoff, net head, discharge, firm energy, secondary energy, investment cost, river basin, conveyance structure, community attitude, transportation, topography, geology, security conditions, terrorism conditions, protected areas, substation conditions) based on the experimental DEXi decision model. There are some interesting findings such as Option 5 gets the highest priority in the overall experimental decision model. Similarly, Option 5 has the very good preference in the objective attributes evaluation. Option 3 comes afterwards with the good preference. But, both Option 4 and Option 5 get the good preference in the subjective attributes evaluation. The DEXi model file (*.dxi) is also presented to readers for giving opportunity to readers for preparing their models based on this experimental research model. This experimental research study is seen as another very small research step to deeply understand the nature of the small hydropower plants investments decisions in the way of developing an autonomous computer based intelligent decision support system for the real world cases.