A multicriteria approach for biomass availability assessment and selection for energy production in Burkina Faso: A hybrid AHP-TOPSIS approach

Burkina Faso's agricultural and industrial sectors are sources of biomass production which are not well tapped. However, the exact quantities available and mobilizable with connection to recovery technologies are not available in the literature. Also, there is very little data on the criteria for the optimal selection of the biomasses to be valorized. In this article, quantification of the main biomasses produced in Burkina Faso has been carried out. Additionally, sustainable biomass selection criteria have been established. A hybrid (AHP-TOPSIS) multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was used to prioritize suitable biomass resources based on defined criteria for bioenergy production. Based on expert opinions and an in-depth review of the literature, six main biomass selection criteria were established: i) biomass availability and accessibility, ii) competitive uses, iii) pollution potential related to residue accumulation, iv) economic impact, v) biomass energy content, and vi) availability of appropriate biomass conversion technologies. Moreover, five potential biomasses were investigated, including cotton stalks, rice husks, cashew nutshells, mango peels, and mango pits. The results of the evaluation showed that cotton stalks were the best option.