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Integrating power-to-gas in the biogas value chain: analysis of stakeholder perception and risk governance requirements
Energy, Sustainability and Society ( IF 4.9 ) Pub Date : 2019-09-18 , DOI: 10.1186/s13705-019-0220-5
Johanny Pestalozzi , Claudia Bieling , Dirk Scheer , Cordula Kropp

When integrating power-to-gas (PtG) in the biogas sector (BGS), it is essential to consider how risk is perceived and handled since it influences technology uptake, acceptance, and legitimacy. In this study, we aimed to identify factors that determine how risks are managed in the BGS grounded on stakeholders’ perceptions of environmental and safety risks, and the socio-political, technological, and economic challenges associated with the adoption of PtG in this industry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 experts located throughout Germany. They represented relevant institutions associated with the development of the BGS and PtG. Participants included expert stakeholders from science, industry, associations, and politics. The interview data were assessed by the use of thematic qualitative text analysis, followed by inductive reasoning, based on holistic and axial coding of the transcribed interviews. The participants predominantly trusted existing regulations to ascertain that environmental and safety risks from this energy concept are under control. The expert stakeholders were convinced that except for farm-based biogas facilities, there is adequate know-how in the BGS to appropriately manage risks of biogas and PtG technologies and thus prevent potential negative externalities. Furthermore, they were inclined to identify socio-political challenges, such as public criticism of biogas, and missing financial incentives as the most relevant matters to the development and adoption of PtG in this sector. The interviewees mainly identified politicians as responsible actors to handle identified risks and challenges. Such risk rationalities are characterized as hierarchist in the cultural theory of risk perception. Possible reasons behind the prevailing high level of risk tolerance among the participants of this study could be related to (1) strong reliance on governmental action, technical protocols, and the perception that others are responsible for risk management in the BGS; (2) a high confidence in expertise in the biogas industry to control risks; and (3) the tendency of experts to advocate biogas and PtG, linked to possible professional roles and motivational factors. These aspects may influence them to attenuate the urgency to prevent accidents and environmental risks, even if this can have undesirable consequences when incorporating PtG in the biogas industry. While critical environmental and safety risks are not acknowledged and adequately tackled, societal controversies may accentuate to the disadvantage of the BGS and the potential benefits linked to the integration of PtG in this field. We recommend implementing measures that enhance risk awareness within this community, urge interest groups to adopt collaborative risk management strategies and consider the involvement of multiple stakeholders in risk assessment and control, and likewise, address the particularities of the social context in defining strategies for risk management and communication.

中文翻译:

在沼气价值链中整合以气为气:利益相关者的看法和风险治理要求的分析

将沼气发电(PtG)集成到沼气(BGS)中时,必须考虑如何感知和处理风险,因为它会影响技术采用,接受和合法性。在本研究中,我们旨在基于利益相关者对环境和安全风险的认识以及与在该行业采用PtG相关的社会政治,技术和经济挑战,确定确定BGS中如何管理风险的因素。对遍布德国的27位专家进行了半结构化访谈。他们代表了与BGS和PtG的发展相关的机构。参加者包括来自科学,工业,协会和政治的专家利益相关者。访谈数据通过主题定性文本分析进行评估,然后根据转录访谈的整体和轴向编码进行归纳推理。与会者主要信任现有法规,以确保这种能源概念带来的环境和安全风险得到了控制。专家利益相关者确信,除了基于农场的沼气设施外,BGS中有足够的专门知识来适当管理沼气和PtG技术的风险,从而防止潜在的负面外部影响。此外,他们倾向于确定社会政治挑战,例如公众对沼气的批评,以及缺少财政激励措施,这是与该部门PtG的发展和采用最相关的事项。受访者主要确定政治人物为负责任的行为者,以应对确定的风险和挑战。在风险感知的文化理论中,这种风险合理性被描述为等级主义者。这项研究的参与者普遍具有较高的风险承受能力,其背后的可能原因可能与(1)对政府行为,技术协议的高度依赖以及人们对BGS的风险管理负有责任的看法有关;(2)对沼气行业的专业知识有很高的信心来控制风险;(3)专家提倡沼气和PtG的趋势,与可能的专业角色和动机因素有关。这些方面可能会影响他们,以减轻预防事故和环境风险的紧迫性,即使在将PtG纳入沼气行业时可能会产生不良后果。尽管没有意识到并没有充分解决重大的环境和安全风险,社会争议可能会加剧BGS的劣势以及与该领域整合PtG相关的潜在利益。我们建议采取措施,增强社区内的风险意识,敦促利益集团采取协作风险管理策略,并考虑让多个利益相关者参与风险评估和控制,并在定义风险管理策略时解决社会环境的特殊性和沟通。
更新日期:2019-09-18
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