Title: Ordered weight averaging multicriteria procedure and cost-effectiveness analysis for short rotation forestry in the Basilicata region, Italy

Authors: Mario Cozzi; Francesco Di Napoli; Mauro Viccaro; Claudio Fagarazzi; Severino Romano

Addresses: School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences - SAFE, University of Basilicata, Potenza 85100, Italy ' School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences - SAFE, University of Basilicata, Potenza 85100, Italy ' School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences - SAFE, University of Basilicata, Potenza 85100, Italy ' Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Systems Management - GEESAF, University of Florence, Piazza di San Marco, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy ' School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences - SAFE, University of Basilicata, Potenza 85100, Italy

Abstract: Optimisation of bio-energy chains and the establishment of a bioenergy district can make a positive contribution to territorial development, while reducing environmental pollution. The Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) multi-criteria analysis was applied to Basilicata Region in southern Italy to identify suitable areas for Short Rotation Forestry: 4659 ha, 8847 ha and 4742 ha could be planted with eucalyptus, poplar and black locust, respectively. Based on the results, financial analysis compared different management and production scenarios and explored the possibility of accessing national incentives. Economic results are positive above certain yield thresholds (> 15 t.d.m/ha) that can be ensured only with irrigation in summer: the NPV/ha ranged from €111 for black locust to €1360 for poplar. Further economic benefits could be generated by the access to the white certificate market and to the voluntary carbon credit market. Lastly, the results obtained have been confirmed by a sensitivity analysis.

Keywords: green economy; multicriteria analysis; fuzzy linguistic quantifiers; economic analysis; white certificates; carbon credit market; bioenergy districts; Italy; short rotation forestry; eucalyptus trees; poplar trees; black locust trees.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGEI.2014.067671

International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 2014 Vol.37 No.5/6, pp.282 - 303

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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