Selecting technologies towards compliance with MARPOL Annex VI: The perspective of operators

This paper aims to discuss the limitations of the financial assessment of technologies assisting compliance with the sulphur regulations of MARPOL Annex VI, which is commonly adhered to by operators, and to contribute a multi-criteria approach based on the analytic network process (ANP). Financial models like the representative one presented herein are widely used in the industry. The given example is analyzed in order to identify the merits and limitations of this approach. Thereafter, an analytical tool based on the ANP is presented. This could enhance understanding of the problem and support decisions. Furthermore, the tool could assist operators to select the necessary technical alternatives in a better way, and reveal the preferences and relationships among criteria, thus fostering improvement of the decision tools.