Evaluation of Wave Energy Location by Using an Integrated MCDM Approach.

In recent years, sudden global energy demand has led to the gradual exhaustion of fossil fuel, the world's main energy resource. With the negative impact of fossil fuel on the environment, governments and organizations have increased R&D funding on renewable energy resources such as solar and wave energy. Vietnam has a great potential for developing wave energy projects owing to the presence of a long coastline and vast ocean. Choosing an optimal location for wave-based power plant projects is a multicriteria decision that requires understanding the quantitative and qualitative elements for assessing the balance of factors when trying to reach the most accurate result. This study proposes a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, fuzzy-analytic hierarchical process (FAHP), and weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) in evaluating potential wave energy stations at the Vietnamese coastline. The authors identify all criteria and sub-criteria affecting the wave power plant location selection process through literature review and expert interview. Selection criteria include wave height, the distance between two waves, number of waves, wind speed, wind duration, ocean depth, turbulence, water quality, coastal erosion, shipping density, protection laws, labor resources, safety conditions, and other related factors. FAHP was used to determining the weights of the identified criteria in the first stage of this study. Finally, the WASPAS model was employed to rank all the alternatives involved in making an effective decision. This study aimed to develop a tool to enhance decision-making when solving fuzzy multi-criteria problems. We propose a real-world model for the effectiveness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]