Microalgae Plant Site Selection Analysis: A New Decision Support Paradigm

Researchers from Xiamen University have developed an integrated framework to address the challenge of strategic siting for microalgae cultivation plants in China. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process-Geographic Information System-Monte Carlo simulation (AHP-GIS-MCS) framework, the team analyzed criteria priorities, geographic constraints, and uncertainty quantification to identify optimal locations for microalgae plant cultivation. The research has far-reaching implications for bioenergy planning and establishes a scalable decision-support paradigm for microalgae plant siting.

Key Takeaways:

• The AHP-GIS-MCS framework prioritizes sunshine, geographic constraints, and industrial costs to identify optimal locations for microalgae plant cultivation.
• The study identified Kunming, Yunnan Province, as the optimal location due to exceptional annual effective sunlight duration, favorable temperature, and competitive industrial costs.
• The research concluded that future extensions should prioritize fuzzy-AHP implementation, dynamic policy module integration, and municipal-level downscaling to enhance operational utility.
• The AHP-GIS-MCS framework can be applied to other industries, such as solar panel installation and wind farm planning.
• The study's results can be used to inform policy decisions regarding bioenergy planning in China and other countries.
• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Aquacultural Engineering.

Statistics:

• The study used 10,000 Monte Carlo simulation trials to quantify uncertainty, with +/- 20%-40% perturbations.
• The AHP-GIS-MCS framework established criteria priorities, with sunshine weighting 0.458.
• The study identified Kunming, Yunnan Province, as the optimal location, with 100% stability under perturbations.
• The research concluded that the AHP-GIS-MCS framework can be used to site microalgae plants in other regions with similar environmental and economic profiles.

Sources:

• "Microalgae Plant Site Selection Analysis: a Multi-criteria Decision Model Based On Hierarchical Analysis, Geographic Information Systems and Monte Carlo Simulations." Aquacultural Engineering, vol. 111, 2025.
• Xiamen University, Fujian Prov Key Lab Marine Chem & Appl Technol, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China.
• Minggang Cai, Xiamen University, Fujian Prov Key Lab Marine Chem & Appl Technol, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China.
• Elsevier Sci Ltd, 125 London Wall, London, England.