Integrated AHP–TOPSIS–VIKOR Analysis for Selecting Bio-Based Chemical Feedstocks

The increasing demand for sustainable chemical production has heightened the need for identifying optimal bio-based chemical feedstocks that can substitute in place of fossil-derived resources. Feedstock selection is inherently complex as it requires consideration of multiple and often conflicting criteria around their technical performance, economics, environmental sustainability and market readiness. This study proposes an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework consisting of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for weightings, combined with two ranking algorithms, namely, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and VIKOR, to allow multi-criteria assessment and ranking of bio-based chemical feedstock alternatives. Weighting of relative importance of specific criteria (such as availability, cost, conversion efficiency, environmental impact, and market demand) for ranking feedstock alternatives was done through AHP and, subsequently, two ranking methods (TOPSIS and VIKOR) are used to rank algae biomass, lignocellulosic biomass, agricultural residues and vegetable oils alternatives based on their distance to the ideal solution and compromise ranking, respectively. 

Both TOPSIS and VIKOR yield consistently similar ranks with algae biomass as the most attractive feedstock owing to its greater conversion efficiency and environmental performance overall. Sensitivity analysis undertaken (20% increase and decrease of weights), confirms the robustness and relative stabilities of the overall ranks of results of the ranking of feedstocks derived through the proposed model. Overall, the integrated AHP–TOPSIS–VIKOR framework will serve as a transparent and reliable decision-support tool for researchers, regulators and industrial stakeholders in their efforts towards fast-tracking the uptake of bio-based chemical feedstocks and in particular, in terms of best feedstock selection.