A BWM-GIS Based Approach for Wind Power Plant (WPP) Site Selection: Sample of Tunceli

In today’s world, searching for an alternative energy source instead of fossil fuels has become highly popular. Renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind power plants are the alternatives to fossil fuels. Wind power plants (WPPs) are actively used in several regions of the world, both at sea and on land. In Turkey, WPPs have been used, especially since the early 2000s, with the Aegean and Marmara regions being their prime locations. However, there is no WPP in Tunceli. Thus, the main objective of this study is to recommend suitable WPP areas for Tunceli. In this context, the best-worst method (BWM) was integrated into the geographical information system (GIS) and used in the study. The BWM method is a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method based on pairwise comparison. In the study, 16 criteria were determined under four main criteria “topography”, “socio-economic”, “technical,” and “location” by using the BWM model. Experts from different disciplines evaluated each criterion as a questionnaire and used it for appropriate site selection. For the 16 criteria, separate maps were created, explanations of the criteria were established, and these maps were cumulatively used in the resulting map. The criteria weights determined using the BWM model were integrated into the GIS, and suitable WPP installation areas for Tunceli were determined. Accordingly, some areas around Pertek and Mazgirt in the southeast of Tunceli, north of Pülümür, and around Çemişgezek, which provide suitable conditions in terms of physical geography, are suitable for WPP installation.