AUTHOR=Linzenich Anika , Engelmann Linda , Arning Katrin , Becker Tristan , Wolff Michael , Walther Grit , Ziefle Martina 

TITLE=On the road to sustainable transport: Acceptance and preferences for renewable fuel production infrastructure

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Energy Research

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/energy-research/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.989553

DOI=10.3389/fenrg.2022.989553

ISSN=2296-598X

ABSTRACT=<p>To abate climate change and ameliorate the air quality in urban areas, innovative solutions are required to reduce CO<sub>2</sub> and pollutant emissions from traffic. Alternative fuels made from biomass or CO<sub>2</sub> and hydrogen can contribute to these goals by substituting fossil gasoline or diesel in combustion engines. Using a conjoint analysis approach, the current study investigates preferences of laypeople (<italic>n</italic> = 303) for fuel production facilities in terms of siting location, plant size, raw material used in the production, and raw material transport. The location was most decision-relevant, followed by raw material transport, whereas plant size and type of raw material played a less prominent role for the preference choice. The best-case scenario from the point of view of acceptance would be the installation of a rather small bio-hybrid fuel production plant in an industrial area (instead of an agricultural or pristine environment). No transport or transport <italic>via</italic> underground pipeline were preferred over truck/tank car or overground pipeline. The findings can be used as a basis for planning and decision-making for designing production networks for new fuel types.</p>