Forest biomass plant site selection using multicriteria spatial analysis: The study case of Beira Baixa, Portugal

In this study we developed a decision support system based on multicriteria spatial analysis in order to select sites suitable to locate biomass plants. A set of environmental, economic and social criteria was defined, evaluated and weighted in the context of Saaty's analytic hierarchies. The best alternatives were obtained after applying Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The model was applied to the central region of Portugal where forest and agriculture are the most representative land uses. Finally, sensitivity analysis of the set of factors and their associated weights was performed to test the robustness of the model. The proposed evaluation model provides a valuable reference for decision makers in establishing a standardized means of selecting the optimal location for new biomass plants.GeoBioTec