Optimizing biomass re-collection center locations for vietnam’s growing bioenergy industry: An integrated dematel and gra approach

This study introduces a process for selecting potential locations that not only supports better decisions by balancing multiple criteria such as economic, social, and environmental factors but also clarifies the relationships among these criteria and highlights the most influential ones. The objective is to help decision-makers accurately and comprehensively identify key criteria, understand their interrelationships, and quickly determine the best location choices. An integration of two techniques, including the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), is proposed. Particularly, DEMATEL is used to determine attributes’ weights and relationships. GRA supports decision-makers in choosing the best option. A case study, a re-collection center in 13 provinces in the South of Vietnam, under consideration of 15 criteria formed from three pillars of the sustainable supply chain, is to describe the proposed process. Data were gathered from interviews with nine experts and specialized departments, including the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the People’s Committee of Can Tho City, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Department of Planning and Investment. The results show that the local and government policy criteria have the highest weight, and Ben Tre province is the best location. These contribute to selecting optimal facilities with complex criteria quickly and effectively for other developing countries and promoting bioenergy production, such as in Vietnam.