Decision-Making on the Selection of Clean Energy Technology for Green Ships Based on the Rough Set and TOPSIS Method

Abstract

In the context of the decarbonization of the shipping industry, the application of clean energy technologies is a catalyst for decarbonization. With the number of potential clean energy technologies expanding, the uncertainties in terms of technology maturity, policy regulation, and economics make clean energy technologies decision much more difficult. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a clean energy technology selection scenario for the green ship industry to assist shipowners in decision-making. Based on this, a technology selection model based on rough set (RS) and approximate ideal solution ranking (TOPSIS) is constructed. Using RS to reduce the evaluation index and calculate the weight can avoid the one-sidedness of subjective weighting. Using the TOPSIS method to rank alternatives. This paper selects seven clean energy technology alternatives, namely LNG power, LPG power, methanol power, HVO power, pure battery power, hydrogen fuel cell, and ammonia fuel cell, respectively, as the evaluation objects. Taking two types of vessels as examples, it is concluded that LNG power technology is suitable for large coastal ro-ro passenger vessels, and pure battery power technology is suitable for small inland river short-distances vessels. The results are in line with reality, which verifies the scientificity and validity of the proposed model.