A study on site selection of pumped storage power plants based on C-OWA-AHP and VIKOR-GRA: A case study in China

Pumped storage power plants (PSPP), as an important clean energy technology, have great potential for energy storage and conditioning. However, site selection is the primary issue in PSPP construction, which directly affects its economics, environmental impact and social acceptability. Therefore, this paper aims to conduct an in-depth study of PSPP site selection, taking into account multiple factors such as geology, hydrology, environment and socio-economics, to determine the best site in a scientific and objective manner. In our study, we used the literature review method and Delphi method to determine the index system for PSPP site selection evaluation, calculated the objective and subjective weights of the indexes by C-OWA and AHP, respectively, and used Lagrangian optimization to calculate the combined weights. In addition, the VIKOR-GRA method was used to evaluate and rank the candidate site selection options to determine the best site location, and the robustness of the research results was tested by sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis. The results of the study indicate that within Anhui Province, the Yuexi area of Anqing is considered to be the most promising and advantageous PSPP site location. This study provides scientific and feasible guidance for PSPP site selection, which is important for promoting clean energy development and achieving sustainable energy supply.