Integrated multi-criteria decision making methodology for pumped hydro-energy storage plant site selection from a sustainable development perspective with an application

Abstract

Pumped hydro-energy storage (PHES) development involves heavy investment with stringent environmental and social requirements. Therefore, selecting the best site is a key influencer of the plant's ability to sustainably provide the expected benefits throughout its whole lifecycle. An important contribution could be provided by developing specific tools for improving decision accuracy while addressing the issue of sustainability through the decision-making process. In this view, this study aims to propose a decision-making model for selecting the best alternative from a number of predetermined PHES candidate sites, in a perspective of sustainable development. The approach is based on the identification of decision factors and criteria, and the use of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques such as the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), rating scales and fuzzy logic-based scoring systems, and the ELimination and Choice Expressing REality (ELECTRE) III. These methods are comprehensively selected and combined to deal with the heterogeneity of the information and the vagueness of human preference and, to operationalise the concept of strong sustainability. Its practicality and efficiency was successfully tested on a set of eleven PHES candidate sites in Western Cameroon. As result the five best alternatives to be considered in the framework of the country's sustainable power generation policy were suggested in descending order of priority: (1)-Enep, (2)-Mbatu-dam, (3)-Benakuma, (4)-Bamendjin, (5)-Mentchum.