Prioritizing and overcoming biomass energy barriers: Application of AHP and G-TOPSIS approaches

Abstract

India strives to utilize optimum biomass potential to overcome the prevailing energy crises. However, a variety of barriers are hindering the development of the biomass industry. Some scholars have considered these barriers in previous studies; however, it has been largely unknown the extent to which these barriers obstruct the Indian biomass industry. To address this issue, this study systematically prioritizes barriers based on their importance. A total of twenty-four barriers are recognized and classified into five major categories using an extensive literature review and a modified Delphi approach. The rankings of major barriers and sub-barriers are determined based on weight allocation using the Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP). The Grey Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (G-TOPSIS) is used to rank the alternative solutions to these barriers. The research results specify that the "technological & infrastructural" barrier is the top-ranked barrier among major categories, followed by economic & financial, political & institutional, cultural & behavioral, and meteorological barriers. The overall ranking indicates that "technological complexity" ranks highest among all sub-barriers across all categories. It has been posited that "enhancing research and development (R&D) activities" would prove to be the best alternative solution. Based on study findings, it is recommended that policymakers, stakeholders, and government institutions should work in a consistent and coherent way to make sure the availability of adequate subsidies, increase feedstock supply and provide training to local inhabitants for the sake of accelerating the currently crawling progress of the Indian biomass industry.