Acceptance of biomass plants – Results of a longitudinal study in the bioenergy-region Altmark

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe present contribution addresses the results of a longitudinal study in a 'bioenergy-region' concerning the public acceptance of biomass plants and the corresponding influencing factors. Using a standardized questionnaire, 423 persons were polled between 2009 and 2011 on three points of measurement in four places in the bioenergy-region Altmark. One main result of the study is that the reported public acceptance remains constantly high over time; nevertheless it became evident that the respective influencing factors differ in their strength, whereas the perceived regional benefit shows a strong connection to the reported public acceptance of biomass plants at each point of measurement. Concluding the research results, the acceptance of biomass plants doesn't seem to be a fixed construct, but has to be seen in context of the respective experiences with plants on a local level over time.In addition to the local population, key actors of the regional biomass sector were also interviewed (N ¼ 26). The analyses show significant differences in the perception and evaluation of the current informational level between the population and the key actors. Furthermore, the key actors estimated the utilisation of biomass even more positively and expected a greater 'signal function' of the bioenergyregion-project compared to the population.

Sustainable biofuel: A question of scale and aims

“…Contrary to other studies on the acceptance of biogas plants (Kortsch et al, 2015;Schumacher and Schultmann, 2017;Soland et al, 2013), we heard very little mention of smell. This may be explained both by the evolution of the technology, and by the use, in the four studied farms, of a mix of cow manure and agro-industrial or agricultural wastes.…”

“…Policies for biofuel development (Borras et al, 2011;Hultman et al, 2012) in rural areas are analysed to verify opportunities, through the development of biomass, to diversify economies and increase farmers' incomes (Mwakaje, 2012;Zolin, 2011). On the other hand, some recent studies question the scale of production (Carrosio, 2013;Cotula, 2012;Monteleone et al, 2009) and pay more attention to the local acceptance of biogas plants (Kortsch et al, 2015;Schumacher and Schultmann, 2017;Soland et al, 2013). Local systems based on ecological principles have been analysed (Altieri, 1999;Huttunen, 2011), as have the driving forces of and attitudes towards biofuel diversification (Frantal and Prousek, 2016).…”

A Decision Support System for trade-off analysis and dynamic evaluation of forest ecosystem services

“…It depends on personal experience and emotions (Kortsch et al 2015). Quantification of these values should therefore take into account the entire life cycle of a forest or comparison among forests of different ages.…”

An Analysis on Barriers to Biomass and Bioenergy Development in Rural China Using Intuitionistic Fuzzy Cognitive Map

“…Biomass is proven as a labor intensive technology and it has huge potential to create employment [11]. Therefore, the regional unemployment rate also amplifies the impact of developing biomass technology on the economy [19].…”

“…Svanberg et al [3] directly pointed out that the cooperation between stable owner and energy company is needed to support the commercialization of conversion technology. What is more, the lack of public participation always results in the social amplification of the negative image of biomass technology, which is the main reason why the local residents feel anxious about the new biomass project and thus leads to failure [19,20]. Gasparatos et al [21] demonstrated that the impact of incomplete understanding of biomass fuel is one of the most critical barriers in the development of biomass investments through a case study in the continent.…”