Location Optimization of Gas Power Plants by a Z-Number Data Envelopment Analysis

Abstract

Electricity demand has been ever increasing with growth and development of our country. Demand for electricity is not only from industrial consumers but from home consumers. Supply of requisite electric power is frequently in need of establishing new power plants. Considering the impact of power plant location on production costs, energy transmission costs, environmental issues, etc., the importance of selecting an optimal location to establish a power plant is clarified. Because of attention to the major portion of thermal power plants, namely the gas power plants in electricity production, establishing such power plants requires a specific concern in Iran. Hence, location-allocation to a gas power plant in Iran is considered in the presented study. 25 cities are studied for location-allocation to a gas power plant and the optimum location should be selected by applying a Z-number data envelopment analysis (Z-DEA). The proposed approach considers most important and effective indices including the pollution rate, land cost, economic rate, natural risks, distance from the electricity distribution network, distance from gas supply station, proximity to water, population and labor force rate, topographic feasibility, electricity generation amount and land feasibility. Finally, the fuzzy DEA (F-DEA) model is also applied to validate the obtained results.