EXPANSÃO DA REDE DE GÁS NATURAL DENTRO DO PLANEJAMENTO ENERGÉTICO E URBANO POR MEIO DO MÉTODO DE ANÁLISE HIERÁRQUICA E DA DINÂMICA DAS CIDADES NATURAL GAS PIPELINE EXPANSION IN THE ENERGY AND URBAN PLANNING USING THE ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS AND THE URBAN DYNAMICS

This paper analyzes through the use of Decision Lens software, based on the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process), the influence of several parameters in the expansion of the natural gas distribution network. The method allows that, when different factors contribute to the decision making process, the relative contribution of each one be determined, offering all the system characteristics, including all the elements so that an alteration in one of them will be reflected in all the others. The logic based on pair combination, created by Saaty in the end of the 1970s, allows the verification of relationships as demographic density and distribution of family income, residential and industrial concentration, distance among areas that can be served and others that are effectively attended by natural gas, defining through in the attribution of a priority scale, the decisive aspects in the selection of areas that must receive the natural gas expansion. As a study case, eight cities of the administrative area of Aracatuba were selected, near the Gasoduto Bolivia-Brasil – GASBOL pipeline and with perspectives of economic growth that may increase the use of natural gas in the northwest of the State of Sao Paulo. The economic characteristic of the studied cities is among tourist, industrial, agricultural vocation and especially in energy production. As a conclusion, it was identified that the urban development indicators and the economics activities are decisive for energy increase consumption that must contribute to the expansion of the natural gas pipeline.