Multi-Criteria Decision Making on the Energy Supply Configuration of Autonomous Desalination Units

The important energy requirements for the desalination process impose especially in remote plants supply by Renewable Energy Sources (RES). In this paper five alternative energy generation topologies of Reverse Osmosis desalination process are evaluated. Proposed topologies assessed in terms of economic, environmental, technological and societal indices are compared using multi-criteria analysis, namely the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and PROMETHEE. Ranking of topologies resulted in the selection of direct connection and hybrid configuration. In case of economic priorities prevail diesel generation should also be considered.