Sustainable energy transitions: Evaluating microalgal biodiesel feedstocks using multi-criteria decision making techniques

With increasing global energy demand, the growing dispersion of energy resources is becoming a challenge to supply security. Biofuels have become essential for enhancing energy security by reducing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Among various renewable energy options, microalgal biodiesel feedstocks are particularly promising because of their high growth rates, high lipid content, and minimal competition with agricultural resources. Selecting an appropriate feedstock is a critical step in biodiesel production. This study aimed to identify the most promising biodiesel feedstocks by employing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques to evaluate seventeen potential microalgal feedstocks based on thirteen criteria. For this analysis, three weighting methods including EQUAL, ENTROPY, and CRITIC along with four MCDM techniques namely Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA), Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Komoromisno Resenje (VIKOR) and Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluations II (PROMETHEE II) are applied. The results show that Nannochloropsis oculata is the best suitable feedstock and Scenedesmus dimorphus ends up as the least suited for biodiesel production. • 17 microalgal feedstocks were evaluated using four MCDM techniques: TOPSIS, MOORA, VIKOR, and PROMETHEE II. • Three weighting methods (EQUAL, ENTROPY, and CRITIC) were applied for criterion importance. • Focused on third-generation biodiesel due to the sustainability and high lipid content of microalgae. • Nannochloropsis oculata was identified as the top-performing feedstock and Scenedesmus dimorphus as the least suitable. • Demonstrated the effectiveness of MCDM techniques in optimizing biodiesel feedstock selection.