Environmental and technical evaluation of the use of alternative fuels through multi-criteria analysis model

摘要

The current way in which the fossil natural resources are consumed as energy resources does not reflect the concept of sustainability and therefore raises new priorities for the existing energy system and sets the challenge to find alternative energy sources that enhance the quality of life without jeopardising the environmental and human health. This study investigated the consequences of the use of alternative fuels (hydrogen, natural gas, bio-ethanol and bio-gas) by focusing on several factors that can be expected to influence the environmental, economic and social sector, in order to verify the feasibility of increasing their share compared to conventional fuels. The results indicated that economy criteria of alternative fuels is consider to be significant advantage over traditional fuels, while the comparative evaluation that resulted from the combination of properties with the optimal values, highlights and drives the exploration of hydrogen as the 'best' alternative fuel source.