Determining the Optimal Offshore Wind Power Station Using a Two-Stage MCDM-Based Spherical Fuzzy Set Approach
Abstract In response to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change to achieve the goal of ensuring sustainable economic growth, offshore wind power development not only provides a clean and sustainable source of energy but also provides opportunities for economic growth and job creation. Offshore wind energy projects have been promptly suggested in Vietnam as a result of policy advancement, with the country's excellent wind resources. The success of an offshore wind energy project is decided mainly by choosing the best location for offshore wind power station (OWPS) construction, which is a complex multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problem with the coexistence of conflicting factors. There is a problem with incomplete decision information use and information loss during the decision-making process, and it is easy to overlook the interaction difficulty in a fuzzy environment. To address the complex nature of the prioritization problem posed, this study proposes a hybrid MCDM framework combining the spherical fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (SF-AHP) and weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS). SF-AHP is used in the first stage to determine the significance levels of OWPS evaluation criteria. WASPAS is then utilized to rank locations of OWPS. A comprehensive set of evaluation criteria developed based on the concept of sustainable development has been recognized by reviewing the literature review and interviewing experts to practice the two-stage MCDM model. A real case study for Vietnam is conducted to test the effectiveness of the proposed method. The best location schemes have been determined by using the decision framework. The results of the sensitivity analysis and a comparison analysis demonstrate that the decision framework is practical and robust. Ultimately, the evaluation criteria and methodology presented in this work can serve as a theoretical foundation for the advancement of offshore wind energy and coastal development.