A grey-based assessment approach to the site selection of a desalination plant in Libya

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a site selection method using grey system theory for a desalination plant in Libya. Design/methodology/approach In order to tackle incompleteness and imprecision of human’s judgments, grey numbers were used. This work uses a grey-based approach to represent decision makers’ comparison judgments and extent analysis method to select the best site. Therefore, a real case study of a selection problem of a site selection of desalination plant in Libya was used to illustrate the proposed approach. Findings Site selection in a desalination plant can be one of the most important decisions in planning a desalination project. The decision affects both the project cost and potentially the project schedule. Based on the results of grey model, a clear order of these sites and the degree of preference are obtained. This paper presents a way to improve a site selection by using a grey model, especially in a complex environment like Libya. Originality/value To the best knowledge of the authors, there is no literature for site selection using grey system theory in a desalination plant in Libya. This attempt may well enhance and facilitate the decision-making process of the best site in the country involved in this research.