Ordered Weight Averaging multicriteria procedure and cost-effectiveness analysis for Short Rotation Forestry siting in the Basilicata Region, Italy

Optimization of bio-energy chains and the establishment of a bioenergy district can make a positive contribution to territorial development, land use planning and employment, while reducing environmental pollution. The decline in cultivated areas over the last few years has made large areas available for bio-energy crop production. The ordered weighted averaging (OWA) multi-criteria analysis was applied to Basilicata Region in southern Italy to identify suitable areas for Short Rotation Forestry: 4,659 ha, 8,847 ha and 4,742 ha could be planted with eucalyptus, poplar and black locust, respectively. Based on the results, financial analysis compared different management and production scenarios and explored the possibility of accessing national incentives. Economic results are positive above certain yield thresholds (> 15 t.d.m/ha) that can be ensured only with irrigation in summer: the NPV/ha ranged from €111 for black locust to €1,360 for poplar. Further economic benefits could be generated by the access to the white certificate market and to the voluntary carbon credit market. Lastly, the results obtained have been confirmed by a sensitivity analysis.