Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to Select Waste to Energy Technology for a Mega City: The Case of Moscow

Anna Kurbatova and Hani Ahmed Abu-Qdais
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Anna Kurbatova: Department of Ecological Monitoring and Forecasting, Faculty of Ecology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6, Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 117198 Moscow, Russia
Hani Ahmed Abu-Qdais: Civil Engineering Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: In a mega city like Moscow, both municipal solid waste management and energy systems are managed in an unsustainable way. Therefore, utilizing the municipal solid waste to generate energy will help the city in achieving sustainability by decreasing greenhouse gases emissions and the need for land to dispose the solid waste. In this study, various Waste to Energy (WTE) options were evaluated using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to select the most appropriate technology for the Moscow region. The developed AHP model consists of 4 levels, which assessed four WTE technologies, namely landfill biogas, anaerobic digestion, incineration, and refuse derived fuel (RDF), using four criteria and nine subcriteria. The pairwise comparison was achieved by soliciting 16 experts’ opinions. The priority weights of various criteria, subcriteria, and alternatives were determined using Expert Choice Software. The developed model indicated that landfill biogas is the preferred option with a global weight of 0.448, followed by the anaerobic digestion with a weight of 0.320 and incineration with a weight of 0.138, while the least preferred technology is the RDF with a weight of 0.094. Sensitivity analysis has shown that the priorities of WTE alternatives are sensitive for the environmental and technical criteria. The developed AHP model can be used by the decision makers in Moscow in the field of WTE.

Keywords: waste to energy; Moscow; mega city; analytical hierarchy process (AHP); sensitivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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