Multi criteria decision analysis for sustainability assessment of 2nd generation biofuels

Abstract This paper presents results of the comparative sustainability assessment of three renewable and fossil fuel production routes, i.e. gasoline from straw or wood, and conventional gasoline. For the simultaneous consideration of the ecological, economic and social dimension a MS Excel-based tool is developed, which enables the assessment of energy technologies by choosing different MCDA (Multi Criteria Decision Analysis) methods, weighting sets, weighting methods and normalization methods for ecological indicators. Results for the MCDA method TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) show, that stakeholders who prioritize the economic dimension (Individualist) would choose conventional gasoline, while stakeholders who prioritize the ecological and the social dimension (Hierarchist and Egalitarian) would choose gasoline from wood.