Ballast water management: technology choice comparing TODIM and THOR 2

Carlos Francisco Simões Gomes; Luiz Flavio Autran Monteiro Gomes; Luís Alberto Duncan Rangel; Fabricio Maione Tenório; Marcos dos Santos

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Carlos Francisco Simões Gomes Department of Production Engineering, Fluminense Federal University
Luiz Flavio Autran Monteiro Gomes Ibmec School of Business and Economics, Ibmec University Center
Luís Alberto Duncan Rangel Department of Production Engineering, Fluminense Federal University
Fabricio Maione Tenório Federal Center of Technological Education Celso Suckow da Fonseca
Marcos dos Santos Military Engineering Institute

Keywords:

Maritime transportation, Water pollution, TODIM, THOR 2, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Abstract

This paper approaches the problem of ballast water treatment in ships. This has been identified as one of the four greatest threats to the world’s oceans. Solutions that have been considered for solving the problem are alternative water treatment technologies. In the case study reported in this paper three major water treatment technologies have been evaluated with the help of twenty-six criteria, quantitative as well as qualitative by using two discrete multicriteria methods, TODIM and THOR 2. The THOR 2 consists of the axiomatic evolution of the THOR method and both THOR 2 and THOR are made available through the THOR Web platform. Five groups of evaluation criteria are then considered: practicality; biological effectiveness; cost/benefit ratio; time frame for the implementation of standards; and environmental impact of the process' sub-products. In this paper a case study on choosing a ballast water treatment technology is presented. Three alternative ballast water management technologies are proposed by experts in the field and are evaluated with the help of twenty-six criteria, quantitative as well as qualitative. Each ballast water management method is described by a list of twenty-six attributes or criteria. After setting the problem in a clear way and consulting different experts, the two separate applications of both TODIM and THOR 2 are performed. What is denoted as Management Method #1 is indeed chosen as the best alternative according to both methods. The conclusion is that those two methods, although conceptually and analytically quite different, lead essentially to the same main results. Two other applications of both TODIM and THOR have indeed confirmed the convergence of results in spite of the conceptual and technical differences between the two methods. This suggests that formulating a decision problem in a correct, clear-cut way can be at least as important as the technical characteristics of the method per se.

Author Biographies

Carlos Francisco Simões Gomes, Department of Production Engineering, Fluminense Federal University

Carlos Francisco Simões Gomes is an associate professor of Production Engineering in Fluminense Federal University, in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. He received his Doctor of Sciences degree in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. His main areas of interest are Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and Information Technology.

Luiz Flavio Autran Monteiro Gomes, Ibmec School of Business and Economics, Ibmec University Center

Luiz Flavio Autran Monteiro Gomes is a professor of Management in the Ibmec School of Business and Economics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His main areas of interest are Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and applications of Management Science to Business Administration.

Luís Alberto Duncan Rangel, Department of Production Engineering, Fluminense Federal University

Luis Alberto Duncan Rangel is a professor of Production Engineering in Fluminense Federal University, in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. He received his Doctor of Sciences degree in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. His main areas of interest are Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and Linear Programming.

Fabricio Maione Tenório, Federal Center of Technological Education Celso Suckow da Fonseca

Fabricio Maione Tenório teaches Production Engineering in the Federal Center of Technological Education Celso Suckow da Fonseca, in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. He received his Master of Sciences degree in Systems and Computing from the Military Engineering Institute, Rio de Janeiro. His main areas of interest are Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and Information Technology.

Marcos dos Santos, Military Engineering Institute

Marcos dos Santos teaches Advanced Mathematics at the Military Engineering Institute, in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. He received his Doctor of Production Engineering degree in Production Engineering from the Fluminense Federal University. His main areas of interest are Mathematics, Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and Computer Science.