Selection of sustainable alternative energy source for shipping : multi-criteria decision making under incomplete information

Abstract

The selection of alternative energy sources for shipping can effectively mitigate the problems of high energy consumption and severe environmental problems caused by shipping. However, it is usually difficult for decision makers to select the most sustainable alternative energy source for shipping among multiple alternatives due to the complexity of considering different aspects of performances and the lack of information. This study developed a novel multi-criteria decision-making method that combines Dempster-Shafer theory and a trapezoidal fuzzy analytic hierarchy process for alternative energy source selection under incomplete information conditions. According to the developed method, nuclear power has been recognized as the most sustainable alternative energy source for shipping, followed by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and wind power, and sensitivity analysis reveals that the weights of the criteria have significant on the sustainability sequence of the three alternative energy sources for shipping. The developed method can be popularized for selecting the most sustainable alternative energy source despite incomplete information.