Application of a Multicriteria Decision Model for the Selection of Conversion Pathways for Biofuel Production and Management in a Medium-Sized Municipality in the State of Paraná

Biogas and biofuels have emerged as viable alternatives to meet the targets established by the Paris Agreement. Considering the numerous variables involved in biogas production and the need to understand growth opportunities, technological improvements, and policies aimed at stabilizing the sector, a bibliographic review was conducted, analyzing 145 scientific articles. This analysis revealed a research gap related to biogas, energy generation, and the application of multicriteria decision-making methods. This study aims to contribute to filling this gap through the application of a multicriteria model designed to assist public decision-makers in selecting among three conversion pathways for biogas and biofuel production: pyrolysis, covered lagoon biodigester, and continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) biodigester. These alternatives were evaluated based on environmental, social, economic, and technical criteria, applying the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) methods. The AHP method was used to rank the criteria and their respective sub-criteria, while the TOPSIS method helped select the alternative closest to the “ideal positive solution” among the conversion routes analyzed. The ranking results showed that environmental and social criteria received the highest scores compared to technical and economic criteria.