Where and how? A comprehensive review of multicriteria approaches for bioenergy plant siting

The growing interest in renewable energies requires increased consciousness regarding their impact on the territory and communities. For this reason, several researchers have studied the conditions that influence the balance between the benefits and costs of new bioenergy plants, producing a wide-ranging review of studies regarding the optimal location of plants. This process is based on several economic, social and environmental conditions. One of the most valuable and useful tools to evaluate the criteria and attribute the proper weight is the multicriteria decision model/analysis (MCDM/A). This review summarizes the studies of the last 20 years to describe the criteria that influence the location of bioenergy plants and how the authors compared and categorized the alternatives. In total, 40 papers were reviewed, studying i) the adopted criteria and multicriteria decision model/analysis and ii) the environmental and social conditions that influence this type of analysis. As a result, 55 criteria, divided into 13 subgroups and three main groups (social, economic, and environmental), are identified and studied. This research can support future studies that address the territorial management of energy sources and integrate different types of renewable energies.