Selection model of chemical tanker ships for cargo types using fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS

There are many chemical tanker ships on the market with very different characteristics. However, their operational performance for cargo types remains uncertain. Also, it is unclear which criteria should be taken into consideration primarily in the selection of chemical tanker ships. Therefore, choosing the most suitable ones for the cargo to be transported is an important problem for maritime companies. In this respect, the study aims to determine suitable chemical tanker ships for the four main cargo groups transported by them: animal and vegetable oils, corrosives (abrasives), organic chemicals, and petroleum products. A methodology that combines the fuzzy AHP, fuzzy TOPSIS, and clustering methods is used. 30 alternative chemical tanker ships are determined to represent the characteristics of all ships with a tonnage of 1-30 k DWT on the market. They are clustered into performance levels according to their fuzzy TOPSIS ranking scores. Consequently, a chemical tanker selection manual is developed based on the common characteristics of high-performance ships as well as the order of importance of criteria. It is envisaged that it would be a reference for ship operators and shipowners in the selection of suitable ships for the type of cargo.