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Project: BIOGASACCEPTED with grant agreement number EIE/07/S12.466802

Deliverable D 5.3 Case Applications of Biogas Acceptance Tool

Author: STUDIA Schlierbach

March 2010

The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Table of Contents

1

1

Introduction

3

2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4

Austria Gutau Molln Pettenbach Steyr

3 3 4 5 6

3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

Hungary Debrecen Klárafalva Nyírbátor Pálhalma

7 7 9 10 11

4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4

Italy Bagnoli di Sopra Guarda Veneta Silvelle Teglio Veneto

13 13 14 15 16

5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4

Poland Liszkowo Szarlej Studzionka Wisla Mala

17 17 18 19 20

6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4

Slovakia Chynorany Hurbanovo Stupava Vel’ké Bierovce

21 21 22 23 24

7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4

Spain Almatret Artese de Segre Vilasana Vacarisses

25 25 26 27 28

8 8.1

Appendices España

31 31

2 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5

BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 Italia Magyarország Österreich Polska

34 37 46 50

Case applications

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Deliverable 5.3, concerning the case applications of the BiogasAccepted Tool in the partner countries, was a key action for the project BiogasAccepted. Each case had to be secured first, and with the preparatory actions, surveying, and follow-up, this task was very time-consuming. Each region had a unique environment to operate in, from the developed biogas industry in Austria to the few operating plants in Poland. In addition, three types of cases are represented: for vehicle fuelling, combined heat and power (CHP), and feeding into the natural gas grid.

Situation: The plant can be considered to be in its completed state, with an intention to improve – that being by adding a biogas filling station. Regarding acceptance, the acceptance issue can be best demonstrated by gas’s lack of market penetration in vehicle fuelling; only 0.04% of Upper Austrian vehicles are gas-powered. In Gutau there is only one filling station; here we asked permission with a telephone call. At first he gave his consent, but after one day of the survey the leaser retracted this permission for an unknown reason. After this news, we searched for new filling stations in villages near Gutau, and personally asked the filling station leaser in Kefermarkt and Pregarten. After one week at the filling stations we then asked at supermarkets – again in person – in Kefermarkt and Pregarten. As with the Steyr questionnaire, the BiogasAccepted folder was used Action: At the conclusion of 2.5 weeks of surveying, 155 responses were secured. The development of the Vehicle questionnaire was much different from the CHP and GRID questionnaires, and therefore a direct benchmark comparison between the surveys would have been invalid. Gutau is located in an urban area and, as a result, most of its inhabitants are familiar with biogas to a certain extent. As we have seen in the questionnaire, biogas has a positive image in this region, but the knowledge about its use as a fuel is nearly zero. One of the reasons is that there is a lack of knowledge about gas-powered cars (70% don’t know where they can buy such a car). Here you have to start somewhere, perhaps with an event entitled “Biogas – a regional fuel for me”, which could be held in the city hall or at the biogas plant itself. At this evening, gas-powered cars could be available to drive. The mayor, a gas-powered car expert and the owner of the plant, could take over important roles in informing the people upon the benefits and risks of biogas-fuelled cars.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 All in all, the correct information on increasing acceptance was discovered throughout the process. Most importantly, disseminating information to the public (holding an open day) and choosing a correct location of the plant (not near the plant), should help future problems of acceptance. Achievements: At the beginning of the planning phase for the biogas plant, the population was highly sceptical about biogas. So Mr. Wahlmüller and the other biogas plant operators have started PR work for the plant, and disseminated a lot of information about the plant. The results of the questionnaire have shown that biogas is now accepted in the population. Mr. Wahlmüller has experienced no negative reactions and he is sure that they have chosen the right location for the biogas plant due to the response in the survey. Taking this into account, we claim a reasonable acceptance increase as an outcome of the activities in Gutau.

Situation: The Molln plant is near completion, with an intention to improve heat usage and optimize its resource management. To the owners, the plant’s economic performance is not satisfying, as there have been high and unforeseen costs for maintenance and bureaucratic certificates. The operation is lacking public appraisal and continuously suffers from specific neighbours’ complaints. In the long term, the plant’s existence is endangered. The informal partnership with the plant owner was a very positive and successful one. The scope of the action was developed and clarified in several meetings with him and a neighboring farmer. In these meetings, the questionnaire was also custom tailored to the operator’s needs. A second informal partnership was established with the mayor of the community. As there were municipal elections in the action’s run-time, the survey action was sensitive. After she was sent the questionnaire and ensured that she would be informed on the results, the mayor gave her approval for the action. Prior to the survey, each of the neighbours received a personal letter to inform them of the upcoming survey. In addition, they were assured that they would receive an update on the project results. The neighbouring households were visited twice by the project: once to disseminate the project information and questionnaires, and once to retrieve the completed questionnaires. Action: At the conclusion of the two weeks of surveying (in November 2009), 43 responses were secured. The response rate was 47%. Opinions towards the operation of the plant proved to be moderate. 58% of the respondents agreed that the plant helps to save oil, coal and natural gas supplies, and two out of three respondents can foresee using power from biogas in the future. The most criticized point of the plant seemed to be its bad odour emissions, as 53% of respondents complained about it. Following the survey action, there have again been several meetings with the operator. He was the first to receive all of the results of the study (e.g. tables, report, etc.) and he retained the rights as to what information was made public about the study. The results of the questionnaire have been explained to the plant owner and one neighbouring farmer. It was

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surprising to them to see that some of their actions taken in the past (switch from sunflower to less odorous materials) were unnoticed, and that the customers did not appreciate the usage of energy plants. We recommended focusing on the benefits that the plant provides to the municipality and its inhabitants as in the past, there has not been any information of this kind. Achievements: The event following the questionnaire action established high praise with the regional biogas actors. This was likely because their operations, which have not yet been positively regarded by the regional society, were shown as an important field for the future in spite of difficult economic conditions. These benefits were also profiled in two local newspapers after the event, and an interview was given to a journalist who knew the situation of the plant. A photo with the plant also appeared in the regional newspaper. A majority regards the folder “Biogas for the community” as being interesting (phone poll), which assures a contribution to acceptance increase. Here, the increase is considered to be a reasonable increase.

Situation: The plant can be considered to be in its completed state with an intention to improve – that being by adding a biogas filling station in the vicinity, or by optimizing the plant’s performance. Roughly two years ago, the biogas plant started having acceptance issues with its neighbours. One citizen in particular started collecting signatures to complain about the bad smell that the plant produced. This was settled by bad odour legislation, but the conflict is still underlying between the owner and certain citizens. The acceptance problems are seen as being crucial for further development. At the owner’s suggestion, a meeting with the mayor of the community was set up. The informal partnership with the plant owner was a very successful one. He was the first to receive all of the results of the study and was allowed the final decision on public information. The neighbours were targeted within a 300m radius (50 neighbouring households in total), and each one received a personal letter to inform them of the upcoming survey. The neighbouring households were visited twice by the project: once to disseminate the project information and questionnaires, and once to retrieve the completed questionnaires. Action: At the conclusion of the two weeks of surveying (June 1st – 15th 2009), 39 responses were secured. The response rate was rather high, at 85%. The results of the questionnaire have been explained to the plant owner and his family. It was surprising for them to see – from the results of the questionnaire – that only a minority raised the acceptance problems. In order to keep the generally positive climate, we recommended using means of communication that inform the public in a non-aggressive way. The results of the questionnaire have been explained to the mayor and the local authority that is responsible for the renewable energy initiative. In 2009, there were municipal elections, and the responsibility for renewable energy in the village shifted towards a member of the board who has been briefed on the acceptance issues by STUDIA.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 A folder “Biogas for the community” was designed, and 700 copies were printed. The owner will use this folder for visitors. It contains information on biogas, the performance of the plant, and the questionnaire results. We recommended that the plant participates in future PR activities (an event in June 2010) concerning the community’s RE strategy. Achievements: The owner has had many contacts with neighbours since the questionnaire and has not experienced any negative reactions, especially in comparison to the past. He notes that the PR work and questionnaire seemed to have done a good job. Taking this into account we would regard a reasonable acceptance increase as an outcome of the activity. A questionnaire evaluating the regional event (with a presentation on the biogas plant) showed that 77% of the participants were in favour of having more biogas applications in the region, which assures the action’s contribution to acceptance increase.

Situation: As the first biogas plant that was chosen was in a rural region, PROFACTOR searched for a biogas plant near a city for its second installation to allow for comparison between the two regions. PROFACTOR’s existing contact with the biogas plant in Wachtberg allowed for a seamless transition to this new questionnaire. The owner expressed a strong interest in vehicle fuelling and even had established a contact with a planner to build a filling station at his plant. He planned to use the results of the survey as a basis for his investment decision. The plant is in a completed state, but has an intention to improve, as the owner was in contact with planners to install a vehicle fuelling station. The same acceptance issues exist in Wachtberg as in Gutau; that being the low market penetration of biogas as a fuel option. For the questionnaire in Steyr, we personally contacted 11 filling station leasers to get permission for the questionnaire (5 refused permission). For overall information purposes, we used the general “BiogasAccepted folder”. This folder was also handed out in case the interviewed person wanted more information about the project. Action: At the conclusion of the 2.5 weeks of surveying, 210 responses were secured. Wachtberg is located in an urban area and, as a result, most of its inhabitants aren’t as familiar with biogas. In an assessment of alternative energy options, biogas did not have as high of a positive association in Wachtberg as it did in the rural area of Gutau (fourth most viable source; 45% had a positive view of biogas). Knowledge of purchasing options is similarly low, however, as only 32% of respondents know where to buy a gas-powered car. In regards to purchasing a gas-powered car, 64% said they would consider it as an option, but would be more comfortable with a petrol-gas hybrid option, as opposed to purely gas powered. Many respondents (46%) said they would not be interested in a car that is solely gas-powered. As we have seen in the questionnaire, biogas does not have as positive an image in Wachtberg as it does in the rural region of Gutau. It encounters similar problems with

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awareness, though slightly more pronounced. Therefore, similar measures were suggested for Wachtberg as were given the owners at Gutau. The managing director of “Bioenergie Wachtberg reg. GenmbH” in Wachtberg sees the application of biogas as fuel as a step to create a “multifunctional energy centre”. He has started contacting companies to ask them for cooperation in filling their vehicles at the biogas filling station. Currently, the big problem for the successful operation of a biogas filling station is the high price of the filling station. At the end of individual questionnaires, sometimes a discussion about biogas as fuel took place where the interviewer distributed information to the respondent about where he or she can buy a natural gas-powered car. The respondent has always shown a positive reaction regarding the possibility of using biogas as a fuel in the future. Achievements: Furthermore, we have printed a poster (see below), which is on display at the biogas plant, near the highway. The biogas plant operator was asked if he is interested in building a biogas filling station, and how expensive the fuel would be. The reaction of the citizens has always positive. Taking this into account, we would regard a reasonable acceptance increase as an outcome of the activities in Steyr.

Situation: Debrecen is among the 5 largest cities of Hungary with its approximately 200,000 inhabitants. There are two biogas related activities in this major city: one is the instalment of a waste water sewage sludge treatment plant that has been in operation since 2001, and the other is the landfill site, where the majority of the city communal waste is treated. These conditions provide a high potential for biogas uses. The biogas produced at the wastewater sludge treatment plant is used to provide heat and electricity for the facility that is operated by the city council. Meanwhile, the landfill gas is utilized by a private company to generate electricity to be fed into the grid. Debrecen is situated in the Northeastern region of the country and is a predominantly agricultural area. The dominating agricultural production in the region and the significant amount of domestic waste makes it suitable for biogas applications for both environmental protection and fossil energy reduction points of view. Both facilities are fairly large, producing energy in the MWh range. Although the wastewater plant and the landfill site are well isolated from the rest of the city and managed properly, we anticipated acceptance problems because of the size of the operation. Action: The wastewater treatment plant management has been approached by telephone several times, but there was a reluctant response. The people at various levels in the management hierarchy did not feel that our questioning about the acceptance of biogas

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 production would bring much benefit for them. We were directed to the City Council for further instructions and approval, but they suggested discussing the issue with the wastewater plant itself. Many local residents were approached first by phone, though a majority declined to participate. The most common reasoning for doing so was “it is not my business”, “I don’t have time for this”, and “Do I get paid if I waste my time for this”. Therefore a personal, door-todoor approach was chosen. Among those who decided to take part and answer our questions, the level of understanding about biogas or the importance of renewable energy production was extremely low. Therefore collection of the answers to the questions was preceded by a thorough discussion and explanation session of these basic issues and about the intentions of the BiogasAccepted project. The personal educational efforts changed the overall negative attitude towards something the interviewed people did not know much about. It was soon learnt that people became more open when anonymity was offered. About 100-120 households were visited in order to collect 20-20 sets of answers to the CHP and GRID questionnaires, respectively. The responses reflected the low level of knowledge and understanding of the importance of biogas. Hungary has a very extensive natural gas supply system and although the prices have increased in recent years, people still find this comfortable enough. This may be due to the heavy state support on the household use of natural gas. Environmental protection issues are only motivating for some people. Those who have already heard about biogas, or were willing to spend considerable amount of time with us to understand it, had a positive attitude towards biogas. Due to the low level of correct information, many responses included the elements of fear from novel, unknown technologies. The general concerns included the potential danger of explosion and bad smell, although the importance of waste treatment in general was appreciated. Achievements: In order to test the effects of our efforts a second set of personal questioning was done. A simplified questionnaire was used, and a surprising positive change was observed. In the homes that were revisited, people clearly remembered our first visit and the message we intended to get through during the explanation and educational discussions. The majority of these people reported a growing interest in general environmental issues and discussed their experience with their friends, family members, and colleagues. Among those who met us for the first time, the limited level of knowledge and interest was still evident, but we came across 3 households, where part of the biogas related information were shared by friends who were not involved in the first survey. Our conclusion was that the personal approach might be time consuming, but it is effective. We would regard this as a reasonable change in acceptance.

Case applications

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Situation: Klárafalva is a village in the Southeastern region of Hungary that has about 500 inhabitants and is primarily an agricultural settlement. The biogas facility started its operation in 2007 with a capacity of 500 kWh, which is a medium sized biogas plant in Hungary. Following the operational problems of the start-up phase, the inexperienced Hungarian owners operated the facility with varying success. Although the biogas plant is a separate economical entity from the nearby feather-processing factory, the ownership is shared. In 2009 both companies started to face severe economic difficulties. Added to the problems there was an operational accident in the biogas plant where the gas storage foil was ripped off; the plant has not operated since then. Unemployment is now high, as about half of Klárafalva’s inhabitants were employed at one of these two plants. The operating company used to be an active member of the Hungarian Biogas Association (HBA); therefore we have been aware about it for some time. The upcoming collapse of the entire business operation was not apparent at the time of collecting the answers to the questionnaires. Action: The local residents were not very talkative, and many people declined to participate. This may be due to the general disappointment because of the lost hopes for the plants in the community. Remarkably, the people questioned were not as negative about biogas technology as one would have expected. A personal, door-to-door approach was chosen, however, the willingness to participate in the survey was low. Among those who decided to take part and answer our questions, the level of understanding about biogas and the importance of renewable energy production were rather low, but significantly more inhabitants were aware of the technology and potential difficulties than in other sites investigated. Collection of the answers to the questions was preceded by a thorough discussion and explanation session of some the BiogasAccepted project and other biogas issues. The Hungarian Biogas Association (HBA) organized a big campaign at this time, including several hundred of 11-13 year old school children in an educational competition on biogas, which was accompanied by several appearances in the local printed and electronic media. The campaign focused on the Southeastern region of the country, and several of the respondents remembered the campaign from both the local media and from their children’s school experiences. The local media also extensively covered the story of the biogas plant. About 100-120 households were visited in order to collect 20-20 sets of answers to the CHP and GRID questionnaires, respectively. Environmental protection issues are motivating only in few cases; willingness to personal involvement is scarce. Interestingly, of all four cases the smallest settlement Klárafalva and the large city Debrecen have produced the lowest number of overall positive appreciation of the biogas technology. This is difficult to explain, as these two sites are very distinct in many aspects of life. Due to the low level of correct information, many responses included the elements of fear from novel, unknown technologies. The general concerns included the potential economical malfunctioning of the biogas plant, which was understandable given the bad example in the

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 vicinity of the village. Rumours about the financial troubles started to circulate in the village at the time of collecting the answers to the questionnaires, and many people were concerned about their employment situation. The importance of waste treatment in general was appreciated. Achievements: In order to test the effect of our efforts, a second set of personal questioning was done. A simplified questionnaire was used, and a positive change in attitude towards biogas was observed in spite of the rumours about the failure of the most influential local industrial partner. In homes that were revisited, people clearly remembered our first visit and the message during the explanation and educational discussions. The majority of these people reported a growing interest in general environmental issues and discussed their experience with the BiogasAccepted project with their friends, family members, and colleagues. Among those who met us for the first time, the limited level of knowledge and interest were still evident, but we came across 2 households, where the biogas related information was shared with friends. We concluded that although the personal approach is time-consuming, it is effective. Due to the responses that we secured, we observed a reasonable acceptance increase.

Situation: Nyírbátor is a small town of about 13,000 inhabitants at the far corner of Northeast Hungary. The biogas facility is in operation since 2002 and currently its capacity is 2.5 MWh, which makes it the second largest biogas plant in Hungary. Following the operational problems of the start-up phase, self-trained experts have operated the facility for several years now. The biogas is utilized in CHP engines to generate electricity for feeding into the grid. Waste heat and some of the electricity is used in the nearby chicken farm and meat processing facility. The anticipated acceptance problems might originate because of the size of the biogas plant and concurrent issues such as odour and substrate transport. The plant owner, Dr. Mihály Petis is an active member of the Hungarian Biogas Association (HBA); he serves as president of the HBA. The biogas plant is open for visits on a regular basis. Action: The local residents were not very talkative and many people declined to participate. This kind of general attitude was observed in other cases as well. Therefore a personal, doorto-door approach was chosen, however, the willingness to participate in the survey was low. Among those who decided to take part and answer our questions the level of understanding about biogas or the importance of renewable energy production was low, particularly if one takes into account that this biogas plant is the oldest one operating in Hungary processing agricultural waste. Therefore collection of the answers to the questions was preceded by a thorough discussion and explanation session of some basic biogas issues and about the intentions of the BiogasAccepted project.

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As with the case in Klárafalva, Nyírbatór was positively affected by HBA’s efforts with the Biogas is the Green Ace campaign. The educational program was mentioned by some of the respondents in a positive light. About 100-120 households were visited in order to collect 20-20 sets of answers for the CHP and GRID questionnaires, respectively. The responses reflected the low level of knowledge and understanding of the importance of biogas. Of all four cases, Nyírbátor had the second highest number of people with considerable knowledge about biogas technology and – not surprisingly the second highest number of positive responses. This may be due to the positive attitude towards biogas due to the relatively long and successful operation of the biogas plant at this site. The general concerns included the potential danger of bad smell, although the importance of waste treatment in general was appreciated. Achievements: In order to test the effects of our efforts, a second set of personal questioning was done. A simplified questionnaire was used, and a positive change in attitudes towards biogas was observed. The majority of these people reported a growing interest in general environmental issues and discussed their experience with the BiogasAccepted project with their friends, family, and colleagues. Our conclusion was that the personal approach is time consuming but effective and people are willing to deal with biogas end renewable energy if the proper information is delivered. In addition, we would note that this case had a reasonable acceptance increase.

Situation: Pálhalma is located at the outskirts of the city named Dunaújváros in the middle of Hungary. Dunaújváros is a town of about 50,000 inhabitants and used to be noted for its significant heavy industry until 1999. The biogas facility has been in operation since 2007, currently its capacity is 1.75 MWh, which is a large biogas plant in Hungary. Following the operational problems of the start-up phase, self-trained experts have operated the facility for several years now. The plant is located near a large prison, and the inmates work on the field. The excess heat is used for heating the prison facilities and provides hot water for the prisoners. Visiting the biogas plant is restricted to visitors. The anticipated acceptance problems might originate due to the size of the biogas plant and potential odour control and potential complaints by the nearby districts of the city Dunaújváros. There is no heavily populated area nearby. The operating company is an active member of the Hungarian Biogas Association (HBA), therefore it is known to us for some time although the management has been replaced a couple of times. This is the only plant in Hungary that participates in active CO2 quota trading. Action: The local residents were not very talkative and many people declined to participate. This may also be due to the increased level of security because of the nearby prison, which has been running for several decades and the inhabitants look at strangers distrustfully. Therefore

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 a personal, door-to-door approach was chosen, however, the willingness to participate in the survey was low. Among those who decided to take part and answer our questions the level of understanding about biogas or the importance of renewable energy production was low. Therefore collection of the answers to the questions was preceded by a thorough discussion and explanation session of some basic biogas issues and about the intentions of the BiogasAccepted project. The personal educational efforts changed the overall negative attitude towards something the interviewed people did not know much about. The Biogas is the Green Ace campaign focused on the Southeastern region of the country, but some actions included the Central-Hungary region and several of the contacted people have heard about biogas as a result of the campaign. The local media had presented the construction of the biogas plant extensively. About 100-120 households were visited in order to collect 20-20 sets of answers to the CHP and GRID questionnaires, respectively. The responses reflected the low level of knowledge and understanding of the importance of biogas. Environmental protection issues are motivating only in few cases; willingness to personal involvement is scarce. Of all four cases, Pálhalma had the highest number of people with considerable knowledge about biogas technology and – not surprisingly, the highest number of positive responses. This may be due to the positive attitude towards biogas due to the successful operation of the biogas plant at this site for 3 years. Due to the low level of correct information, many responses included the elements of fear from novel, unknown technologies. The general concerns included the potential danger of bad smell, although the importance of waste treatment in general was appreciated. Achievements: In order to test the effects of our efforts a second set of personal questioning was done. A simplified questionnaire was used, and a positive change in attitude towards biogas was observed. The majority of the repeat respondents reported a growing interest in general environmental issues, discussed their experience with the BiogasAccepted project with their friends, family members and colleagues in their workplace. Among those who met us for the first time the limited level of knowledge and interest was still evident, but we came across 4 households where the biogas related information was shared with friends. Our conclusion was that the personal approach is time consuming but effective and people are willing to deal with biogas and renewable energy if the proper information is delivered. This case had a reasonable acceptance increase.

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Situation: The case of Bagnoli was presented when regional green party politician gave FNE the contact of local groups who were active for environmental causes. FNE asked if they knew of a project with problems of acceptance. Hence we came to know about the case of a biogas plant in Bagnoli di Sopra, where the local farm (“Tenuta di Bagnoli”) had began a project for the enlargement of its biogas plant. The plant was located inside the farm, in the outskirts of the village, not very close to other private dwellings. The ownership of the farm had already experienced difficult relationships with some citizens and the local groups who contested plans for excavation. The opposing group were looking for means to suspend the use of the plant and push the local administration to prevent its development. FNE first contacted a politician who we are in contact with. He gave us a contact with a biogas associate, who then put us in contact with the opposing group. Many phone calls occurred that we couldn’t report. Action: A focus group was held with three persons of the opposing group, who then delivered the questionnaire to others. The survey in Bagnoli reached the number of 26 questionnaires collected. Compared to the previous case of Silvelle, the results for Bagnoli displays a more positive general attitude towards biogas issues that were closer to the European average. In particular, the level of biogas project acceptance is roughly the same (45.5% in Bagnoli) as well as the attention for renewable energy (63%) and regional climate (48.4%). Where the difference from the European level is more remarkable is in individual commitment, significantly high in Bagnoli at 48.6%, as well as for individual values with a relatively high response at 61.5%. We clarified that problems of acceptance had originated from difficult relations between the group of citizens and ownership. However, the overall level of acceptance is good, showing that the group may be active, but is a minority voice in the community. The owner seemed to know about this lack of contact and knowledge about biogas, and was happy to join and help our survey. Achievements: By the end of the action, the owner applied a more open attitude towards the village, and organised some “open days” organized on his property. This took place notwithstanding the lasting difficult relations with the opposing group. The owner told FNE that the BiogasAccepted project helped to improve relations between himself and the community. Due to this, we regard there to be a reasonable acceptance increase in Bagnoli di Sopra.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3

Situation: In this case, we acted same way as in Teglio Veneto. The case was reported in the local newspapers, with reference to a group of citizens who opposed the construction of the plant. The group was well known because they were also opposing a project for a new motorway that would pass through their area. When we contacted the local group, the project had just obtained official permission by the local authorities (the so called “Conferenza dei servizi”) and was pushing the local administration to put a stop to construction. Problems of acceptance, as referenced in the newspapers, mostly originated by ways of access to due to what the citizens judged to be insufficient infrastructure surrounding the plant. The proposed area for the plant did not have many neighbours in the vicinity. Moreover, they contested a process that, according to their opinions, makes energy by using food. Moreover they were radicalized against energy facilities because their territory (Province of Rovigo) has been exposed during in recent times to polluting emissions from industrial facilities. FNE then contacted the group and organized the focus group. A focus group was held with about 15 participants (9th of November, 6.00 PM, in the municipality), and the questionnaires were delivered and collected on the same day. At the same time, we contacted the mayor, hoping to gain his cooperation in collecting more questionnaires. However, he refused to have direct contact with us. The personnel of the municipality talked with us a few times reporting interest and will of cooperation at the beginning, but a lack of cooperation ensued once the mayor decided. They said the mayor feared the result of the survey would be too negative. Action: For the case of Guarda Veneta we collected 13 questionnaires. Similar to the case of Silvelle, we see a very low acceptance of a biogas project in the vicinity (11.8%), contrary to high individual values (64.9%). In addition, the participants from the survey and focus group openly referred to this relation between personal values for the environment and opposition to biogas, seeing no contradiction. The resentment towards industrial propagation in the region, especially pollution, is probably the reason for these responses. This is also reflected by the quite low level for regional climate (27.7%), resulting from a history of difficult relations between the regional administration and the province, who had announced intentions to place energy facilities in and around Guarda Veneta. Achievements: Given the impossibility to proceed with the survey, the action in Guarda Veneta remained suspended. Personal talks, mostly by phone, with the administrators and the owner didn’t bring about any cooperation, as they maintained their stance to keep silent about biogas.

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Situation: The case of Silvelle was selected, as it was the best-known case of opposition to a new biogas project in Veneto. It was reported in the local newspapers, with reference to a group of citizens, mostly living in the neighbourhood of the plant, who opposed the construction of the plant and finally succeeded in halting further work. The group was called “Comitato NoBiogas” (Nobiogas Committee). The project for the plant was at a very early stage: the formal step for the authorization of new infrastructure (the so called “Conferenza dei servizi”) was not even prepared. The media and the municipal administration alike speak openly about opposition by the local group as the reason for the failure of the project. In spite of the very small dimension of Silvelle, the location chosen would have put the plant quite close to neighbouring houses (50-100 meters). The local group reports that each of its requests for contact with the owners has remained unanswered. Most of the information was collected from the local society (through emails and telephone contacts) as well as from the NoBiogas Committee, of which FNE met some members for a focus group. During this first meeting FNE had a visit to the designed site for the plant and collected some technical material on the project. Action: We collected 29 questionnaires, mostly thanks to the strong cooperation established with the opposition group. They also had a representative attend FNE’s second round table for Biogas Accepted. Comparing the European average with the results for the case of Silvelle, there appears to be a strong difference in “biogas project acceptance”: it was very low in Silvelle with only 27.1% and, representing more general attitudes, for “biogas interest”, only 47.8% in Silvelle. This also reflects the expectations for the regional commitment (39.7% for “demands for the region” in Silvelle). Considering the last remarkable difference for individual values, which also shows a distance from the European average (67.1% in Silvelle), it seems clear that the citizens who responded to the survey have a great interest in environmental efforts but, nevertheless, strongly oppose biogas in their area. Interestingly, they don’t seem to see any contradiction in that. Given the total absence of relations between the neighbours and the farmers or promoters, we intervened in a stage of a strong mistrust and lack of information. The two sides were at a standstill, so we tried to circulate some new information on biogas technology. Considering the high level of mistrust, we applied a respectful attitude with the inhabitants, deciding to work on general biogas information and give a more complete vision of the meaning of renewable energy and biogas, while referring to their use in other Italian regions and European countries. We decided to involve a representative of the NoBiogas Committee in our 2nd round table, which focused specifically on acceptance and our cases. During the meeting members of agricultural association were also involved; they explained the point of view and needs of

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 farmers. At the same time, the presence at the meeting of the councillor for environment in the local district helped to clarify legislation questions. Achievements: In personal talks in the community, some of the opposing inhabitants now better understand what biogas is and what new plants are required by law to do. Still, there was some mistrust in the specific project in their village. Due to this, we regard there to be a reasonable acceptance increase in Bagnoli di Sopra.

Situation: Constructed in 2008, the plant in Teglio had encountered no problems of acceptance. Given the quite high level of opposition against other three projects selected, FNE looked for some diversity in its fourth case. The Teglio plant was a good fit, as it was a typical plant in a rural area that was constructed quite recently (2008) and had few acceptance issues. That being said, the area of Veneto had some low levels of acceptance, and therefore the area is considered to be a volatile environment for biogas. This case was a bit different from the other three. Here we had more contacts because Silvia Oliva, an FNE employee, already knew people in this municipality who cooperate with our organization. Thanks to that, a focus group was not required and contacts were established in a less formal way than the other cases. First, we established contact with the biogas plant owner and administrator. Then, we delivered and collected questionnaires with the help of Piero di Bernardo (in the vicinity of the plant), Bruno Anastasia and Liliana Oliva (FNE associates that live in the municipality). Much of the work was done by phone. Knowledge and information on biogas didn’t seem higher than what was verified in other selected cases (and not high in any case). From these discussions, it was concluded that agriculture appears to be quite important as an economic activity in the area, as compared to other parts of Veneto. Moreover, in the past years, no large industrial settlements were established in the region. Action: 27 responses were secured after the survey dissemination and collection was complete. In Teglio Veneto, the levels of acceptance are high and exceed those of the European average on each issue. From an overall vision, it is possible to conclude that the people in Teglio tend to have a positive and active attitude. This attitude is general, but also refers to biogas in particular: request of sustainable energy from the region (63.6%) is reflected and accompanied by a high personal commitment (55.9%), much higher than European average. Achievements: Personal talks and contacts were made, as the results of the survey didn’t show problems of acceptance. Instead, the survey in particular demonstrates that this territory has a good level of interest towards biogas.

Case applications

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Situation: IPiEO established contact with Aufwind Schmack Nowa Energia Ltd., the company developing biogas installations. The company has faced acceptance problems with one of its ongoing projects: the CHP biogas plant in Liszkowo. It should be noted that in Poland there are only few agricultural biogas installations; namely, four at the end of 2009 including Liszkowo. The biogas project was in the implementation phase when cooperation with BiogasAccepted began, and several meetings with the project developer and others on site were coordinated. The acceptance problem was well understood by the company. Another of its projects in Szarlej – 30km away – is a subject of another BiogasAccepted case study that provoked strong social conflicts. Although the project obtained all required permits and installation was nearing completion, the investor was aware that its location was inducing controversy among residents. First, a personal contact was initiated with the company that was developing the project and the owner of the installation. After this was secured, contact with the headman (local authority in a rural area) in Liszkowo was established. The leaflet was sent to both the companies, and was also attached to the surveys, which were distributed on a door-to-door basis. The surveys were handed out and explained in this manner, and were then provided with addressed envelopes for return through post. Action: The focus group meeting took place during the third visit on August 20th 2009. It consisted of a half-day discussion with interested residents who expressed their doubts and fears. The project elicited varied responses. Some people strongly agree and are proud to have such a project in their village, while others strongly complain against the installation. Moreover, the knowledge about biogas was low, however some residents had lived in Germany knew this technology and were information sources for the other residents. Also, direct neighbours complained about bad smells from time to time. They expressed their opinions with strong emotions. IPiEO suggested the following actions to improve acceptance in the area: (1) Take care of people’s justifiable odour concerns. It appears that better operation practices will eliminate or significantly reduce opposition to the plant. (2) Practice strong technological diligence to reduce inconveniences for residents (like bad smells, traffic nuisance, etc.). (3) Consider the possibility of developing a central heating system for neighbouring citizens. Prices for heat should not be significantly higher, but rather similar to the present costs. Achievements: Positive changes have been measured. As a result of phone conversations, we would classify a reasonable acceptance has been achieved.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3

Situation: The biogas plant in Studzionka, a village in the south of Poland, is a small CHP installation started by a family farming operation. One of the problems the investor had do deal with was the social acceptance of the project; at first, this type of industry was completely foreign to local residents and direct neighbours. Moreover, the local authorities responsible for issuing necessary permits did not understand biogas technology. In this sense, the acceptance problem was troublesome from different perspectives. In Szarlej, contact was developed in the same way as Liszkowo as the same company was responsible for developing the two projects. Personal contact with the head of Environment and Agriculture Department in the Kruszwica City Office was made, as well as with the headmen of Lojewo and Szarlej. As in Liszkowo, the door-to-door survey method was used, and was conducted with the support of the aforementioned headmen. Action: In this particular case there several focus groups were held. The communication process took place as follows: Meeting organized by the Mayor in 2006 First meeting with local partner for BiogasAccepted project in 2008 Regular discussions with local people hired for the construction Regular meetings with the local partner BiogasAccepted Focus Group meeting in September 2009 with the owners and neighbours (6 persons) Start up of the installation where, in the meantime, acceptance issues were discussed. A disbelief and distrust in the possibility to produce energy was expressed at the beginning. Throughout the project, though, this improved steadily. The acceptance problem, which had to be solved in order to get a building permit, was caused by fears resulting from a lack of knowledge. Thanks to the project BiogasAccepted, the problem was exposed and discussed in an organized manner. Actions undertaken with the focus group allowed us to understand the local opinions and led to focus on remedial procedures. Achievements: The successful implementation of the project with approval of neighbours showed a clear acceptance increase. At the beginning, there was a culture of scepticism and mistrust, while at the end, enthusiasm for the project was observed. Our partner received positive phone calls from residents regarding their newfound acceptance of the plant

Case applications

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Situation: The investment process in Sutdzionka is in the preparation phase and currently, public acceptance is one of the most crucial barriers to the plant’s construction. Contact was made with the engineer responsible for both Studzionka and Wisla Mala, and then with a scientist from Silesia University that was involved in the development of these projects. Next, personal contacts with the project owners were made, and with the neighbours in order to create successful focus groups. Focus groups were the preferred method of data collection here because of the difficulty in receiving a statistically adequate number of questionnaire respondents. Discussions with stakeholders (the investor and an official responsible for environmental decisions) clearly indicated that there was social resistance against the biogas plant in Szarlej. Moreover, in January 2008 a public administrative hearing took place that was attended by representatives of local authorities, the investor, and protesting residents. Excitement ensued, and the hearing ended with a disorderly debate that led to its failure. The arguments were general, and specific questions about the reasons for concern remained unanswered. Taking into account the initial stage of the project, the investor had to question the desirability of continuing efforts to develop a project in this location. Action: The survey took a few days and questionnaires were received during the third visit on 20th August 2009. The respond rate was not very high, as 60 questionnaires were prepared, of which only 31 were returned. Around 55% of the respondents declared a willingness to participate in an open day and around 30% expressed interest in a biogas plant tour. The investor should use this interest to promote his biogas installation in Szarlej. The lower value for individual commitment indicates passive attitudes among the respondents. In order to improve project acceptance, it is recommended firstly to work on the dimensions that are below the European benchmarks. With a practical approach, the investor might improve acceptance in a reasonable time. The best approaches include continuous communication and more PR activities, such as organizing a biogas event. In order to measure the increase of acceptance, phone conversations were conducted with a short discussion on the project with Mrs Malenda and a representative from the Aufwind Schmack Nowa Energia. These discussions were largely positive, demonstrating an increase in acceptance Achievements: Furthermore, acceptance has been increased since the survey’s completion, as an agreement was reached with “confirmation that residents are not against the plant”. The investor decided to implement the project, which was not plausible when the study started. Residents from Lojewo, who were initially strongly opposed to the installation, have halted their protest. It is thanks to this project that the residents have learned that this plant is not a threat to them.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3

Situation: The biogas plant in Wisla Mala is a similar project to the installation about 10 km away in Studzionka. The investment is in progress, however its completion depends on the attainment of financing. The first contact procedure took place in the same way with Wisla Mala as it did with Studzionka, as the ownership was the same. In the close vicinity of the installation, there are many residential homes. The plant’s construction has already begun; so many informal discussions with interested residents had already taken place. Action: The communication process: Informal meetings with residents at the very beginning of the investment. First meeting with the local partner of the BiogasAccepted project in 2008. Regular discussions with residents during plant construction Regular meetings with the local partner. BiogasAccepted Focus Group meeting.1 In this case, similarities to the Studzionka case were observed. First, we recommended organizing an open day at the nearby biogas plant in Studzionka. As the installation is located in the basin of Goczalkowskie Reservoir2, we also recommend informing the public that wastes generated by the farm will be managed properly and in an environmentally friendly manner. This should create an additional benefit for the locals. Despite its similarities to the Studzionka case, the Wisla Mala case is not as developed in its investment stage. Due to the successful outcome achieved in Studzionka, IPiEO used a similar strategy for the implementation of the tool in Wisla Mala. Achievements: During the last phone conversation with the local partner in March 2010, he claimed that there was an improvement in acceptance. In this case, a very positive influence from the nearby plant in Studzionka affected the acceptance in the area. This was discovered during direct talks between local partner and neighbours.

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The Focus Group Meeting took place on September 2009 and was attended by the plant owner, the installation designer, a scientist from Silesian University of Technology, and a representative from IPiEO. 2

Goczalkowickie Reservoir (Polish: Jezioro Goczałkowickie) is an artificial water reservoir in Silesian Voivodeship in Poland created with a dam on Vistula river in 1956. The area of the reservoir is 32 square kilometres and its capacity is 168-mln m3. The reservoir is supplying with drinking water most of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region

Case applications

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Situation: BIOCHYN Company was founded in 2007 to increase the share of electricity from renewable sources in Slovakia. They jointly planned with agricultural cooperatives in Chynorany to build a biogas station in the Partizánke district for €3.32 million. The plant will be built on the site of agricultural cooperative farm and is about 700 meters far from family houses. The agricultural cooperative farm is well known and accepted in the area. The construction of the plant is now complete and the plant started operating in December of 2009. At the beginning, the investor was contacted in a formal format and the survey was approved. There were several phone conversations and a personal meeting occurred with the partners of BIOCHYN Ltd in the area of the plant. The local residents were not informed about the survey previously because the investor did not approve the preliminary info evening. He was wary about the poor regional climate, with little trust toward public authorities, energy suppliers, and financial actors. With this considered, the plant owner did not want to awaken the any opposition. Before the questionnaires were filled in, our colleagues explained the importance of biogas, renewable energy, and the BiogasAccepted project in 5-10 minutes. The survey was done in June and July of2009, with additional surveys retrieved in November. The vicinity was visited several times, and the survey was filled out using the door-to-door method. Action: The answers generally show that inhabitants have a little trust in members of the community. Additionally, we can say that people are reluctant to get involved into community affairs. These responses are very influenced by the historical background of Slovakia. To reach more open minds, the plant owner should to communicate with the younger generation that has a greater willingness to learn new things. The trust of the people can be achieved by forming non-formal relationships with neighbours in the vicinity. RRIORES recommended that more PR work from the local authorities would not only increase acceptance, but would be a good opportunity to increase the neighbours’ trust. The plant owner should emphasis productive and efficient cooperation with the municipality leaders in local information dissemination. At city council meetings, the local authorities could emphasise the positive effects of this biogas plant and its influence on the environment. Additionally, an explanation on how the vicinity can benefit from the plant could increase the plant’s acceptance. Achievements: After the survey, which showed large acceptance problems from project acceptance to individual commitment, a second round of follow up surveys were completed in March 2010. Altogether, 27 people were telephoned, out of which five responded, all of which were positive. This represents a spectacular growth in acceptance since the first round of

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 surveying, and in that time frame, the biogas plant started its operation. We received very positive feedback from locals, and many discussed taking action to educate themselves on the subject. The fact that the public buildings are heated by biogas had a very positive influence on peoples’ opinion of the plant. Furthermore, the vicinity has not observed any negative impacts of the plant, including smell, noise, and traffic.

Situation: The planned biogas plant will be an extension of the existing plant in Hurbanovo that is situated in Zapadné Slovensko (SK02). The final phase of the plant has a capacity of 546 kW, and was completed in October 2009. The second phase started production in November 2009. The local society does not generally have much knowledge about biogas applications, even though the plant has been running for five years. First of all, the plant owner was contacted in a formal way, after which he approved the survey. There were several phone conversations and also a personal meeting with the plant owner. The survey was done in June and July 2009, and the vicinity was visited several times. Action: Regarding the public’s acceptance, only the regional climate shows a lower value. Interest about biogas and its utilization is around 66%, which is quite a good result. A smaller percentage of the people accept the project itself, however. There are rumours about bad smell. Furthermore, another acceptance problem is that locals aren’t typically open to new technologies, nor do they trust local actors. In Slovakia, these acceptance problems do not cause a barrier for biogas production, because people living in the vicinity more or less accept biogas. Our recommendations were for Mr. Štifner: Organizing an open day at the biogas plant for the neighbours could increase knowledge about biogas technology. To increase biogas interest in the region, the plant owner could frequently disseminate information about current news of the plant. They could issue articles, not only in agricultural or technology publications, but also in the daily and regional press. These articles should report on the plant/or plants in the region, their technology, operation, and the employees or other citizens who benefit from the plant. Improving the regional climate is the role of the municipality, which has to win the trust of its citizens. People should feel that the public authorities support and work for them, not against them. Spreading information in the local media would be very important. Productive and efficient cooperation of the biogas plant owner and municipality leaders should take place, particularly for dissemination of information on the biogas plant. At city council meetings, the local authorities should emphasise the positive effect of the local biogas plant and thereby help to increase the biogas plant acceptance.

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Achievements: We have measured positive changes. The survey showed some acceptance problems such as rumours about bad smell; little trust in people and public authorities, and sceptical attitude towards the technical renewals. Afterwards, a second round of follow up surveys was made using phone calls in March 2010. We called 26 people and received 5 responses. From the 5 answers, 2 were very positive and 3 positive. This points to a significant growth in acceptance.

Situation: The 1MW plant will be situated in Bratislavský kraj (SK01) and its investor is an agricultural cooperative ZSVP Stupava Ltd; at the moment the project is still in planning stage. The agricultural holding, where the plant will be installed, is in an industrial zone, but public acceptance is important because of the authorizing procedure, as the municipal authorities provide the permission for construction. ZSVP Stupava s.r.o. has been accepted as a farm, though the local society does not have much knowledge about biogas applications. Some of the locals seem to be concerned about the smell of the operation. First of all, the future investor was contacted in a formal form to receive their approval for the survey. There were several phone conversations and also a personal meeting held with the investor Ľudovít Tóth in Stupava. The survey was made in June-July in 2009, and the vicinity was visited several times, with the surveys filled out using the door-to-door method. Action: Overall, 30 questionnaires were collected from the people in the vicinity of Stupava. Regional climate is 46%. The answers generally show that inhabitants have little trust in actors in all concerned areas. Most of the people have at least little or some trust in the local farmers, plat operator, neighbours, the energy supply utility and the investors and banks. People are not typically open-minded because ideas do not easily become successful projects, and they are not also open to new technologies and or organically minded. It is also remarkable that the vicinity feels responsible for the development of Slovakia as well as caring about the environment (90%). We received feedback in the follow-up survey that the respondents have a positive attitude towards biogas, a higher basic knowledge about the applications and biogas itself, and some have even gone out of their way to research the technology. The following recommendations were made for Mr. Ľudovít Tóth: One could increase the biogas interest in the region by frequently disseminating current news for the plant. There is a possibility to issue newspaper articles, not only in agricultural and technology publications, but also in daily and regional press that have a higher circulation. These articles should report about the plant/or plants in the region, their technology, operations, employees, and others who might profit from the plant in any way.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 The regional climate has the lowest index in the survey. The owners should attempt to get involved to ameliorate this issue, as it might also influence the acceptance of the biogas plant. However, improving the regional climate is really the role of the municipality, as they have to win the trust of the inhabitants. Spreading information through the local media could be an important first step. Productive and efficient cooperation between the biogas plant owner and municipality leaders on the local dissemination of information about the biogas plant would be effective. For example, at city council meetings, the local authorities should emphasize the positive effect of the local biogas plant and thereby help to increase the biogas plant acceptance. Achievements: We have measured positive changes in the acceptance in Stupava. The first round of surveying showed some acceptance problems such as rumours about bad smell; lower trust in neighbours, energy supply utilities, plant operator and local farmers; and sceptical attitudes towards the new technologies and ideas. At the end of the project period, a second round of follow up surveys were done using random phone calls in March 2010. From the five responses, three were very positive and two were positive. These positive changes indicate a significant growth in acceptance.

Situation: The investor of the plant is a multinational energy corporation EETEK owned by EBRD and several Japanese energy companies. It is in the installation phase, and the closest residential area from the site of the planned biogas plant is about 900 meters away. Regarding the acceptance problems, people in the vicinity have very little knowledge about renewable energy resources and biogas production technology. The survey shows a lack of information in the inhabitants, but on the other hand, the demand in the region is high. There were rumours about bad smell but these have arisen because of the nearby agricultural business. First of all, the investor was contacted in a formal way, and his ascent to the survey was received. There were several phone conversations and also a personal meeting with the partners of EETEK. The survey was targeted at abutting owners or neighbours of the plant, operators of agricultural farms and functionaries of agricultural organizations. The survey collected 30 responses from June to July 2009. Interviews were done door-to-door Action: An information campaign has recently been done on renewable energy, and it is because of this that people have only recently begun to understand renewable energy resources. They have received some information from the media, though this has not yet reached all societal groups. It is very important to mention that Slovakia’s economic background strongly influences the answers of these questions. Nearby Vel’ké Bierovce, there is a breeding facility for livestock that emits odour to the local area. This explains why the respondents think that the smell will worsen with a new biogas plant, and in addition, rumours have been spread about the odours associated with

Case applications

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biogas. In this case, the influence of the media is apparent. There are many people in the vicinity that are green-minded and are willing to support their region. There was a phone call made to the investor where the results of the survey were explained. Although the plant will not be built in the near future because of the development issues, we presented the acceptance problems that the operators may face in case of improvements of these issues. Achievements: The survey showed some acceptance problems such as a lack of information, rumours about bad smell, little trust in public authorities, and sceptical attitudes. The second round of surveys was completed by phone in March 2010 where people were selected randomly. We called 20 people and received 5 responses. From these, four of the answers were very positive, while one was negative. This shows an 80% growth in acceptance.

Situation: Almatret is quite a small town that has a serious problem with manure disposal. It has some 20,000 heads of pigs, and a biogas plant for treating the manure and reducing disposal costs has been considered. The town hall seems to be in favour of the project, but they do not see the economic advantage of a process that is considered to be complex and expensive to run. Some farmers are of the opinion that anaerobic digestion is prone to producing odour problems. Previous contacts were established with an Engineering company working in the area and with the mayor of Almatret. These contacts were made by telephone and also by mail. A presentation of the project with 25 attendants took place on 4 December 2008; the questionnaire was also distributed at the event. A second visit took place on January 4, 2010 to collect some more questionnaires and to evaluate the acceptance results. Action: A total of 41 surveys were received back. Observing the graphic of the 7 dimensions, it can be concluded that people are interested in biogas technology and renewable energy sources, perhaps because of the continuous price increase of fossil fuels in Spain; therefore a change to cheaper technologies is needed. However, personal commitment seems to be low which suggests that people are not well informed about renewable energies (technology, benefits, security, etc.), presenting a potentially serious problem of acceptance. The tool has been positive in identifying the main barriers to the production of biogas. Now, politicians are convinced that one of the main problems to be addressed is the financial one. They are considering issuing soft credits and funds to help the construction of a plant. An additional increase in the electricity fee has also been considered, although people are unwilling to pay more for biogas supply. Another drawback identified by the tool is the fear of

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 disease transmissions in the manure transportation process and the general problem of a weak economic situation exists in Spain. All these identified problems have been commented on in a second meeting in the town explaining the new financial perspectives and the safety of a biogas plant. Both issues provoked an intense discussion with the attendants. The presentations made a positive effect, presenting biogas as a clean technology and clarifying past negative experiences. Now this technology is better understood and accepted for most of the people and the interest in renewable energies has increased significantly – even for those who would not like to be informed about it. Thanks to this event, biogas applications are thought of as a renewable source of energy that will be very important for the environment and the future of Spain. Achievements: A total of 10 evaluation questionnaires were completed in Almatret. During the second visit to Almatret, we had an interview with the town hall counsellor to detect positive feedback from the actions. He told us that several farmers contacted the town hall to ask about possible channels for financial support for a new CHP biogas plant. This was an informal conversation and they were addressed to the ARC (Catalan Agency for Waste).Taking all these facts into account we would regard a reasonable acceptance increase as an outcome of the activity.

Situation: Artese de Segre is a small town with a large number of livestock (more than 100,000 pigs and 400,000 hens). A possible biogas plant for treating the manure and other organic wastes by co-digestion has been proposed to the farmers. They do not agree with the idea as it represents an increase of costs for them and does not solve the Nitrogen problem for application to the soil. Telephone calls were made to the mayor’s office and also to the cooperative to arrange the questionnaire dissemination. Some emails are also enclosed. A presentation on the project took place on 13 March 2009 that had 40 attendants where the questionnaire was also distributed. A second visit occurred on January 4, 2010 to collect some more questionnaires and evaluate the acceptance results. Action: The number of surveys received back was 42; looking at the results of the study in Artese de Segre (Lleida). It can be stated that people in Almatret are willing to get involved in a biogas project even though they are not well informed about it and are not convinced that it will be an important energy source for the future. In addition, the financial aspects can be a detriment. In general, people are interested in biogas technology as it is a renewable energy source and more people are becoming aware of environmental problems. However, they do not know exactly how it works; therefore more information about this technology is required to increase acceptance within the town. All these identified problems have been commented on in a second meeting in the town that explained the new financial perspectives and the safety of a biogas plant. Both issues provoked an intense discussion with the attendants. The presentations had a positive effect,

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presenting biogas as a clean technology and clarifying past negative experiences. Now this technology is better understood and accepted for most of the people and the interest in renewable energies has increased significantly – even for those who would not like to be informed about it. Thanks to this event, biogas applications are thought of as a renewable source of energy that will be very important for the environment and the future of Spain. Achievements: After the second informal meeting, an evaluation questionnaire was carried out in order to measure an increase in the acceptance of biogas. The results obtained are shown below. A total of 12 evaluation questionnaires were completed in Artese de Segre. After the first visit to Artese de Segre, we were informed by INVALL, the engineering company that made a short speech at the meeting, that they were asked to perform a preliminary feasibility study by a group of farmers for a 100 kW Biogas plant. This occurred following the Almatret event. A summary of the report of the plant they suggested, together with a rough economic evaluation is included at the end of this document. Taking all these facts into account we would regard a reasonable acceptance increase as an outcome of the activity.

Situation: Vilasana is a town in the area of Pla d’Urgell with around 600 inhabitants. There are many farms and one of them has installed a biogas plant to treat manure. The plant is operative and the owner wants to install another plant in the vicinity. Some problems of acceptance due to sanitary problems exist. First the mayor and plant owners were contacted through phone calls and letters, and then a visit to the plant occurred, in April 2009. A second visit to the biogas plant occurred on January 4, 2010 to collect some more questionnaires and to evaluate the acceptance results. The “sindicato” (local cooperative) was also contacted to help to arrange the questionnaire. Action: The number of surveys received back was 46. Considering the results of the study on biogas acceptance in Vilasana (Lleida), the following conclusions can be drawn. It can be stated that people in Vilasana are willing to get involved in a biogas project even though they are not well informed about it and are not convinced that it will be an important energy source for the future. The tool has been positive in identifying the main barriers to the application of biogas. One drawback identified by the tool is the fear of disease transmissions in the manure transportation process. All these identified problems have been commented on in an informal meeting in the town explaining the new financial perspectives and the safety of a biogas plant. Both issues provoked an intense discussion with attendants. The presentation that was given had a positive effect, as it presented biogas as a clean technology and clarified past negative

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 experiences. Now this technology is understood and accepted by most of the people and the interest in renewable energy has increased significantly, even for those who did not want to be further informed. Thanks to this event, biogas applications are thought of as a renewable source of energy that will be very important for the environment and the future of Spain. Achievements: After the informal meeting, an evaluation questionnaire has been carried out in order to measure the increase in biogas acceptance. A total of 12 evaluation questionnaires on acceptance increase have been completed in Vilasana. More than 90% of the people found the presentation really useful for disseminating information about biogas; thus, people have more knowledge about its technology, benefits, and security. These are concepts that the majority of the surveyed people had little information about prior to the presentation. Little more than 80% feel that their acceptance of biogas has changed in a positive way after the presentation. Because of this, we would say that there was a reasonable acceptance increase in Vilasana.

Situation: The plant for upgrading biogas for fuelling vehicles is unique in Spain. It is located in Vacarisses, around 50 km northeast of Barcelona. It constitutes a very good example of an alternative use of biogas. The plant is situated far from any residences (the nearest is located more than 1500m away) and is owned by HERA HOLDING GROUP. They also own a small fleet of cars that are powered by the biogas purified in this plant. As can be seen, the plant exists and the issue is that this type of fuel is not widely used in Catalonia and Spain. Although promotion among scholars has been done, no actions from the Administration have been taken up to now to promote the technology. A first step would be to use the tool to identify the barriers that presently exist. The installation that upgrades biogas for fuelling vehicles is unique in Spain. It is located in Vacarisses, in the “Centre de Recursos Renovables de Coll Cardús”. Actions have been taken by telephone and email to interview the main actors. In this case the person responsible for the plant (HERA), and the town hall representative of Vacarisses. A visit was also arranged to the site on 12 February 2009, where an explanation of the Biogas Accepted project was given with accompanying together with documentation. Emails were used as a means of communication. Action: Two cases were done, one in a rural area, and another in Barcelona. In conclusion, both cases have shown similar results – that the drivers that refuel at Farré-Oil and BPPedralbes stations are not that knowledgeable about biogas or other alternative energies, though they would like to have more information. In Spain, gas-powered cars are uncommon, and therefore the infrastructure is not prepared to immediately implant this technology. While in other European countries, gas-powered cars are common so there is a relatively good grid that delivers natural gas to these service stations; in Spain, this is not the case. This is a significant drawback for the success of biogas as a vehicle fuel in the country. In general,

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people are willing to use alternative energies like biogas to reduce costs and pollution, but they do not want to drive further distances in order to find a special service station. The tool has been useful to identify the barriers that can become problematic for the success of biogas technology for vehicles. In general, people are willing to use biogas as a vehicle fuel, which is a significant enough reason to promote this technology. The first step is achieved; biogas is considered as a clean source of energy that helps to reduce pollution, although people are not well informed about it. The problem in Catalonia and Spain is that service stations are not prepared to deliver gas; therefore, new infrastructure must be designed and built. People will not use biogas as a fuel if the service stations are located miles away. Some interviews with HERA, the plant owner, have been carried out in order to deal with this problem and to contact with energy associations for better promotion. They were very receptive with the tool results and noticed that informative campaigns must be organized to get people closer to biogas and understand its remarkable advantages (e.g. waste reduction). Distributing the questionnaire to the clients of petrol stations produced a positive reaction from the population. As a matter of fact, nearly half of the people that responded the questionnaire showed an interest in its purpose, and most of these people asked how they could follow the results of our task. We gave them the web address of the project and a business card should they desire further information. After some time, we approached the petrol station owners with the results of the survey. Some of the people that responded to the questionnaire asked at the petrol station cashier if they had further information about the project. As agreed, they gave handed out our leaflet (15 in the rural area and 7 at Pedralbes Station). Finally, they told us that all the leaflets for general information were distributed in only a couple of weeks. Action: In summary we can conclude that, as a result of the project’s activity, a reasonable acceptance increase has been achieved. This positive acceptance of the technology has been communicated to the government Institute of Energy (L. Sisquella) for consideration in renewable energy policy.

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The appendices contain description of the case applications in national language.

Es España se estudiaron cuatro casos de aceptación. A continuación se comentan brevemente todos ellos.

Almatret es un pueblo bastante pequeño, con problemas serios de eliminación del estiércol. Hay unas 20.000 cabezas de ganado porcino. Se ha considerado la posibilidad de instalación de una planta de biogás que hiciese posible el tratamiento del estiércol para reducir los costes de eliminación. El Ayuntamiento parece ser favorable al proyecto, pero no ven las ventajas económicas de un proceso considerado complejo y caro de mantener. De acuerdo con la opinión de algunos agricultores, la digestión anaerobia es propensa a producir problemas de olor. Todos estos problemas identificados se han comentado en una segunda reunión en el centro de la población, explicando las nuevas perspectivas financieras y también comentando la seguridad de una planta de biogás. Ambas cuestiones provocaron un intenso debate con los asistentes. Las presentaciones realizadas tuvieron un efecto positivo, presentando el biogás como una tecnología limpia al tiempo que sirvieron para aclarar las experiencias negativas anteriores. Ahora bien, esta tecnología es comprendida y aceptada para la mayoría de la gente y el interés por las energías renovables se ha incrementado significativamente, incluso para las personas ajenas a las energías renovables. Gracias a este evento, el biogás se siente más cercano a la población, como una fuente renovable de energía, que será muy importante para el futuro de España y su entorno. Durante la segunda visita a Almatret tuvimos una entrevista con el consejero del ayuntamiento para detectar reacciones positivas de las acciones. Nos dijo que varios agricultores se habían dirigido al ayuntamiento para pedir los medios posibles para conseguir apoyo financiero para una nueva planta de cogeneración de biogás. Finalmente en la encuesta realizada, cerca del 90% de la población admitió que su actitud frente a la tecnología de biogas había cambiado positivamente.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3

Artesa de Segre es una pequeña población con un gran número de unidades de ganado (más de 100.000 cerdos y más de 400.000 gallinas). Una planta de biogás haría posible tratar todos los estiércoles y otros residuos orgánicos mediante co-digestión. La propuesta lanzada a los agricultores en una primera reunión tuvo como puntos negativos y a no estar de acuerdo con la idea, el hecho de que representa un aumento de los costes de sus explotaciones y el hecho de que no soluciona el problema de la aplicación de nitrógeno al suelo. Todos estos problemas identificados se comentaron en una segunda reunión informal explicando las nuevas perspectivas financieras y también comentando la seguridad de una planta de biogás. Ambas cuestiones provocaron un intenso debate con los asistentes. Las presentaciones realizadas tuvieron un efecto positivo, presentando el biogás como una tecnología limpia y aclarando las experiencias negativas anteriores. Ahora bien, esta tecnología es comprendida y aceptada para la mayoría de la gente y el interés por las energías renovables se ha incrementado significativamente, incluso para los que no desean estar al corriente de la información al respecto. Gracias a estos contactos, la tecnología de biogás se siente más cerca de la población como una fuente renovable de energía. En resumen, más del 80% de las personas encontraron la presentación realmente útil para difundir información sobre el biogás, para ampliar conocimiento de la tecnología y aspectos complementarios como la seguridad. Estos son conceptos que la mayor parte de los encuestados no sabía antes de la presentación. Aproximadamente un 80% consideran que su percepción de la tecnología de biogás ha cambiado de una manera positiva después de haber recibido la información.

La planta de biogás para la purificación de biogas, para su uso en transporte es única en España. Se encuentra en Vacarissas, alrededor de 50 kms (noreste) de Barcelona. Se trata de una pequeña planta de 100 m3/h con una capacidad de abastecimiento de combustible de 35 vehículos para un trayecto de 300 kilómetros. El biogás es producido por la digestión anaeróbica de los residuos y se adecua a la calidad del gas natural en esta planta. Constituye un buen ejemplo de un uso alternativo de biogás. La planta está situada en el "Centro de Recursos Renovables de Coll Cardús" La herramienta ha sido útil para identificar las barreras que pueden llegar a ser un problema para el éxito de la tecnología de biogas apliacada a vehículos. En general, la gente está dispuesta a utilizar biogás como combustible de vehículos, lo que es una razón de peso suficiente para promover esta tecnología. El biogás se siente como una fuente limpia de energía que ayuda a reducir la contaminación, aunque las personas no están bien informados al respecto. El problema en Cataluña y en España es que las estaciones de servicio no están preparadas todavía para dispensar gas, por lo esta nueva infraestructura debe ser diseñada y construida. Por otra parte, la gente no utilizará el biogás como combustible, si la estación de servicio se encuentra kilómetros de distancia. Algunas entrevistas con HERA, el propietario de la planta, se han llevado a cabo para hacer frente a este problema. Asimismo es importante ponerse en contacto con las asociaciones de energía para una mejor promoción. En definitiva, fueron muy receptivos con los resultados de la herramienta y se concluyó que deben

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organizarse campañas informativas para que la gente se sienta más cerca del biogás y entienda sus ventajas notables, por ejemplo, la gran reducción de residuos. Al mismo tiempo, hemos hablado con el ICAEN (Sra. L. Sarquella) para prever las posibilidades de apoyo del gobierno de esta tecnología alternativa en Cataluña. Las asociaciones de energía y el propietario de la planta deben trabajar juntos para poner presión sobre el gobierno con el fin de promover la tecnología de biogás y de legislar su uso. Al pasar el cuestionario a los clientes de estaciones de servicio se ha observado una reacción positiva en la población. Como cuestión de hecho, casi la mitad de las personas que respondieron el cuestionario, mostró un interés por el objeto del mismo y la mayoría de esta gente preguntó acerca de seguir los resultados de nuestra tarea. Les dimos la dirección web del proyecto y una tarjeta de visita para cualquier cuestión. Además hemos impreso 100 ejemplares de un folleto que hemos entregado al dueño de la gasolinera para ser recogidos por los clientes interesados y 20 más que se entregarán para su eventual peticiones específicas de las personas entrevistadas. Este folleto tiene información general sobre el proyecto y sobre las posibilidades de utilizar el biogás para vehículos. Estaba incluida también la dirección de la página web del proyecto. Pasado algún tiempo, preguntamos a los propietarios de gasolineras acerca de los resultados de la encuesta. Algunas de las personas que pasaron el cuestionario se preguntaron en la gasolinera acerca de los resultados del proyecto. Según lo acordado, se les dio el folleto antes mencionado. Mencionar que el interés fue mayor en la estación de servicio situada en el área rural. Finalmente nos dijeron que todos los folletos de información general se agotaron en un par de semanas. Como resultado de todos estos hechos, es razonable concluir que ha mejorado la aceptación de la tecnología.

Vilasana es una municipio de la zona del Pla d'Urgell con alrededor de 600 habitantes. Hay muchas granjas y una de ellas ha instalado una planta de biogás para tratar cerca de 16.000 t / año con 2 digestores de 1600 m3 cada uno. La planta está operativa y el propietario quiere instalar otra planta en las cercanías. Pueden aparecer algunos problemas de aceptación por problemas sanitarios y también los costos parecen ser demasiado altos para una sola planta Después del estudio realizado con la utilización de la herramienta informática puede afirmar que la gente en Vilasana están dispuestos a involucrarse en un proyecto de biogás a pesar de que creen que no será una importante fuente de energía en el futuro. Por otro lado, los aspectos financieros puede ser una desventaja. En todo caso, la herramienta ha sido positiva en la identificación de los principales obstáculos para la aplicación del biogás. Como problema, señalar el miedo de las transmisiones de la enfermedad en el proceso de transporte del estiércol. La presentación expuesta tuvo un efecto positivo, presentando el biogás como una tecnología limpia y clarificando las experiencias negativas anteriores. Esta tecnología es

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 comprendida y aceptada para la mayoría de la gente y el interés por las energías renovables se ha incrementado significativamente. Un total de 12 cuestionarios de evaluación de la aceptación de la tecnología de biogás se han completado en Vilasana. Los resultados muestran que más del 90% de las personas encontraron la presentación útil para difundir información sobre el biogás. Así pues se concluye que la gente tiene más conocimiento de esta tecnología, sus prestaciones y los aspectos de seguridad también. Estos son conceptos que la mayor parte de los encuestados desconocía antes de la presentación. Poco más del 80% consideran que la aceptación del biogás ha cambiado de una manera positiva después de la presentación. Por otra parte, menos del 20% siente que la presentación no era útil, por tanto, su aceptación o percepción acerca de la tecnología de biogás no ha cambiado significativamente tras la información recibida.

I 4 casi selezionati in Italia sono tutti ubicati in Veneto

Caso 1: Progetto per un impianto a biogas nel Comune di Trebaseleghe (Padova) La frazione di Silvelle, dove sarebbe dovuto sorgere un impianto a biogas, è un’area dove sorgono numerosi allevamenti di piccole/medie dimensioni ed esiste un problema di entità piuttosto elevata dovuto ai forti odori. La struttura doveva sorgere per iniziativa di un consorzio 9 imprese dell’area, piuttosto vicino all’abitato. Il progetto ha arrestato il suo iter prima ancora di arrivare alla conferenza dei servizi che avrebbe dovuto approvarlo. I cittadini dell’abitato di Silvelle si sono infatti riuniti in un comitato di opposizione e hanno impedito l’avvio dei lavori di realizzazione. L’amministrazione comunale, inizialmente noncurante, ha poi deciso di aderire alla posizione dei più dichiarandosi contraria. Da quando, tra giungo e luglio del 2008, ne ha dato notizia la stampa locale, il progetto è apparentemente rimasto in un cassetto. Dalla visita al sito designato e dai successivi incontri avuti coi rappresentanti del comitato di cittadini che si opponevano è emerso come i problemi di accettazione fossero riconducibili a vari aspetti: vicinanza della struttura all’abitato; timore di odori; insufficienza delle vie di accesso; contrarietà alla presenza di strutture industriali in generale; timori di inquinamento acustico. I contatti con il comitato sono stati intensi, ma hanno consentito di aprire un canale di comunicazione. Non così è stato con il Comune e con le aziende del consorzio che doveva realizzare l’impianto, che hanno negato la loro cooperazione, considerando la questione del progetto ormai chiusa e temendo altri problemi con gli abitanti. I membri del comitato erano peraltro già venuti a conoscenza di Biogas Accepted dal sito internet. I colloqui hanno potuto spiegare gli obiettivi del progetto e la politica europea verso il biogas e le rinnovabili. Grazie all’interesse suscitato, il comitato è stato poi coinvolto nella seconda tavola rotonda italiana di BA, incentrata sui problemi di accettazione. Dagli incontri avuti è stato possibile riscontrare, complessivamente, una scarsa conoscenza del biogas in

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generale (aspetto cui andavano ricondotte alcune delle ragioni dell’opposizione), sebbene i motivi più legati allo specifico contesto del sito designato non fossero privi di fondamento. Se dividiamo quindi i problemi di accettazione emersi a Silvelle in legati al progetto specifico e legato alla scarsa conoscenza del biogas, si può dire che i primi siano stati certamente superati, come indicato dallo stesso presidente del comitato di opposizione, presente alla seconda tavola rotonda.

Caso 2: Progetto per l’ampliamento di un impianto aziendale a Bagnoli di Sopra (Padova) Il caso è stato selezionato in seguito alla venuta alla luce di alcuni problemi di accettazione rispetto a un impianto collocato all’interno di un’azienda agricola. Il sito dell’impianto non è troppo vicino all’abitato essendo oltre il confine del villaggio. Tuttavia, alcuni problemi che erano già emersi tra la proprietà dell’azienda e un gruppo di cittadini attivo localmente su tematiche ambientali ha fatto emergere ulteriori problemi quando è stato presentato il progetto per l’impianto. Alcuni articoli sulla stampa locale avevano sollevato dubbi a proposito delle materie prime che sarebbero state utilizzate nell’impianto (in seguito chiariti). In generale, i problemi di accettazione parevano legati a timori (per l’appunto) sulla possibilità che fossero usati materiali impropri. Inoltre, esistevano contrarietà di natura etica contro l’intenzione dell’azienda di usare colture energetiche. Il proprietario, attivo in un’associazione di agricoltori che già da qualche tempo svolge attività promozionale in favore degli impianti a biogas ad uso agricolo, è stato contento dell’iniziativa di Biogas Accepted. La collaborazione è stata proficua anche da parte del sindaco e dell’amministrazione comunale (con alcuni membri che hanno aderito all’indagine) e dei membri del comitato che aveva sollevato i problemi di accettazione per il piano di ampliamento. Grazie alla collaborazione del proprietario dell’impianto è stato peraltro possibile attivare una cooperazione con l’associazione di agricoltori Confagricoltura, che è stata partner di alcune iniziative di BA come la seconda tavola rotonda, il workshop e l’evento sul biogas. Dai contatti informali avuti con i membri dell’Amministrazione comunale e con il proprietario stesso è emerso che la questione del biogas è stata dibattuta maggiormente nel villaggio in seguito all’azione di BA. Lui stesso si è reso disponibile ad aprire la propria azienda per giornate di visita e a fornire informazioni sull’impianto qualora richieste. L’azione di BA ha dunque contribuito a schiarire il clima nel villaggio rispetto all’impianto. Più difficile è valutare l’effetto avuto su questioni che si potrebbero definire “ideologiche” come la contrarietà all’uso di colture energetiche. Caso 3: Progetto per un nuovo impianto a Guarda Veneta (Rovigo) Anche in questo caso l’impianto previsto è ad uso agricolo e il sito designato si trova in area molto scarsamente abitata, sul confine tra le municipalità di Guarda Veneta e Pontecchio. Anche in questo caso la stampa locale aveva iniziato a parlare di problemi di accettazione, in

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 seguito ad alcune questioni sollevate da un comitato di cittadini già attivo localmente su questioni ambientali. I primi passi compiuti sono stati prendere contatto con le amministrazioni dei due comuni e con il comitato di cittadini che si opponeva. Le due amministrazioni si sono dette inizialmente interessate (quella di Pontecchio voleva in un primo momento coinvolgere BA in un’attività informativa nel comune), tuttavia hanno infine deciso di non collaborare per l’espresso timore che l’indagine di BA sollevasse ulteriori problemi di accettazione. Più proficua è stata invece la collaborazione con il comitato di cittadini, che invece hanno partecipato all’indagine e, con un proprio rappresentante, anche alla seconda tavola rotonda. Così come il Comune, anche la proprietà dell’0azienda non ha mostrato interesse per l’azione di BA. Nel momento in cui è stato avviato il primo contatto, infatti, il progetto aveva appena ottenuto l’approvazione da parte della conferenza dei servizi e il proprietario riteneva tale passo sufficiente per la realizzazione della struttura. Le ragioni dell’opposizione erano principalmente riconducibili a questioni di viabilità legate all’accessibilità al sito designato, ma sono state anche sollevati argomenti legati all’opportunità di usare colture energetiche, come anche alla già forte presenza di infrastrutture per la produzione di energia nel territorio limitrofo. La mancanza di collaborazione da parte delle due amministrazioni è stata determinante nell’impedire il completamento dell’indagine, anche perché l’area dove sorge l’azienda agricola e l’impianto progettato è scarsamente popolata e non era possibile aprire un canale con i cittadini se non con la cooperazione delle istituzioni locali. Caso 4: Impianto recentemente realizzato nel Comune di Teglio Veneto (Venezia) L’impianto di Teglio Veneto, realizzato nel 2008, sorge in un’area scarsamente abitata e dove sono numerose le aziende agricole. Non sono noti ad oggi problemi di accettazione del territorio circostante, tuttavia, essendo l’impianto di realizzazione molto recente al mento in cui fu selezionato, si è ritenuto di procedere con l’indagine per verificare l’esistenza di eventuali questioni sollevate dall’impianto stesso. Non essendoci problemi di accettazione (o per lo meno non apparentemente), l’apertura contatto è stata molto semplice sia con la proprietà dell’impianto che con l’amministrazione comunale. Nessuna delle due ha tuttavia manifestato un particolare interesse verso l’iniziativa di BA. Dalle informazioni raccolte informalmente non pare esserci un elevato interesse per il biogas e per le rinnovabili in generale, tuttavia l’accettazione è favorita da un buon clima rispetto ai rapporti con l‘amministrazione comunale. Inoltre, l’assenza di insediamenti industriali recenti o passati nell’area circostante non ha radicalizzato le posizioni su tematiche ambientali, come invece avvenuto in altre zone del Veneto.

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Bevezetés Debrecen a legnagyobb magyar városok közé tartozik 200 ezer lakosával. Két biogázzal kapcsolatos tevékenység folyik a városban. Egyik a szennyvíz tisztítóban működő iszaprothasztó, amely 2001 óta működik, a másik a kommunális szemétlerakó, ahová a város szilárd kommunális hulladékának zöme kerül. Mindkét helyen jelentős mennyiségben keletkezik biogáz. A város által üzemeltetett szennyvíztelep a biogáz zömét saját energiaellátására használja. A hulladéklerakó depóniagázát egy magánkézben levő vállalkozás hasznosítja gázmotorban, a termelt áramot a hálózatra adja el. Debrecen Az ország Észak-keleti régiójában található, környéke alapvetően mezőgazdasági terület. Mindkét biogáz termelő üzem meglehetősen nagy, energia termelésük a MWh tartományba esik. Mindkét helyszín a város többi részétől jól el van különítve és megfelelően kontrollált módon működik a jelentős méretek miatt feltételezhető volt, hogy elfogadottsági problémákkal találkozhatunk. Előkészületek A szennyvíztelep vezetését többször próbáltuk elérni telefonon, de nem jártunk sikerrel. A vezetőség különböző szintjein elért emberek nem érezték, hogy kérdéseink, felmérésünk számukra előnyös lehet. A városi vezetéshez irányítottak bennünket, akik visszaküldtek a szennyvíztelepre a problémánkkal. Nyilvánvaó volt, hogy kérésünk szokatlan volt a magyar közéletben és a döntéshozók inkább elzárkóztak az együttműködéstől a radikális környezetvédő szervezetekkel átélt kedvezőtlen tapasztalataik alapján. A lakosságot is telefonon próbáltuk elérni, de szinte mindenki elzárkózott a válaszadástól a gyakori telefonos politikai és kereskedelmi kampányok miatt. A leggyakrabban hangoztatott elutasító válaszok szerint “nekem ehhez semmi közöm”, “nincs ilyesmire időm”, “nincs elegendő információm”, “fizetnek érte?”, stb. Ezekkel gyakran találkoztunk a többi helyszínen is. Személyes, ajtóról ajtóra típusú megkeresés mellett döntöttünk. A felmérésben való részvételi hajlandóság így is alacsony volt. Azok száma meglehetősen alacsony volt, akik pozitívan viszonyulnak a kérdőíves felméréshez és rendelkeztek megfelelő ismeretekkel a biogáz témakörből. A kérdőívekre adott válaszok begyűjtése előtt alapos beszélgetésre volt szükség, amelynek során munkatársaink elmagyarázták a biogáz technológiával kapcsolatos alapvető tudnivalókat és ismertették a BiogasAccepted projekt lényegét, céljait. Ez a személyes tájékoztatás láthatóan sokat javított a lakosok hozzáállásán, akik így pozitívabb vélemény tudtak kialakítani egy olyan témában, amelyről kevés ismerettel rendelkeztek korábban. Azt is tapasztaltuk, hogy az emberek nyíltabban vettek részt a felmérésben, ha névtelenséget biztosítottunk számukra. Ezért a kérdőívek kitöltésekor a személyes adatok felvételét mellőztük.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 A Magyar Biogáz Egyesület (MBA) a munkával párhuzamosan egy széleskörű kampányt szervezett a biogázról, amelyben több száz 11-13 éves iskolás vett részt ismeretterjesztő vetélkedő keretében. A kampányhoz a helyi írott és elektronikus média is csatlakozott, számos tájékoztató írás és műsor látott napvilágot a témában. A kampány a Dél-Alföldi régióra koncentrált elsősorban ezért ezen a helyszínen kevés hatását lehetett érezni. A kérdőív használata Mintegy 100-120 háztartást látogatunk meg, összesen 20-20 kérdőívet töltöttünk ki a CHP és HÁLOZAT témakörökből. A válaszok tükrözték az emberek sekélyes ismereteit a biogáz technológiával és a megújulók fontosságával kapcsolatban. Magyarország igen alaposan el van látva lakossági földgáz vezetékkel a legtöbb háztartásban ezt használják. Az árak ugyan jelentősen emelkedtek, de az emberek még most is megfelelőnek és kényelmesnek tartják ezt az energiahordozót. Ez nagyrészt betudható a jelentős földgáz ártámogatásnak, amely a szociális háló része. Ezért a környezetvédelmi megfontolások kevés embert motiválnak az átállásra, ritkán tapasztalható a személyes motiváltság. Érdekes, hogy a megvizsgált esetek közül a legkisebb falu Klárafalván és a nagyváros Debrecenben tapasztaltuk a legkevesebb pozitív hozzáállást. Ezt a helyi viszonyokkal nehéz magyarázni, hiszen nyilvánvalóan nagyon különböző a két helyszín az életszínvonal, iskolázottság és egyéb fontosnak ítélhető szempont alapján. A helyes ismeretek hiánya miatt sok válaszadónál tapasztaltuk a félelmet az új, ismeretlen technológiától Általánosan megfigyelhető volt az aggodalom a potenciális robbanásveszélytől és büdösségtől. A hulladékok megfelelő kezelését azért a megkérdezettek többsége fontosnak tartotta. Javaslatok az elfogadottság javítására Javaslataink: Az alapoktatásba be kell vezetni olyan ismeretek átadását, amelyek a környezet fokozott védelméről, a megújuló energiák fontosságáról szólnak. Alaposabb kapcsolatot kell kiépíteni az üzemek és a helyi lakosság között például üzemlátogatások szervezésével, amikor felkészült vezetők bemutatják és tevékenységet és elmagyarázzák a technológia működését. Az üzemek kezelőit motiválni kell a feladatra. Ismertterjesztő anyagokat kell a helyi lakosság rendelkezésére bocsátani. Ehhez jó mintaként használható az MBA által a biogáz kampány során készített biogáz füzet. A helyi médiát fokozottan kell bevonni a tájékoztatásba. A sikeres történeteket széleskörűen kell bemutatni a lakosságnak. Az elfogadottság növekedésének mérése A projekt hatásainak mérésére egy második kérdőíves felmérést is végeztünk. Ekkor a válaszadókat a korábban meglátogatott területről választottuk ki,de az anonimitás miatt nem ugyanazokat az embereket kérdeztük meg. Egyszerűsített kérdőívet használtunk. A biogáz megítélésével kapcsolatban pozitív változást lehetett tapasztalni. Ez részben annak tudható be, hogy 5 esetben a már korábban meglátogatott emberekkel találkoztunk ismét. Ezekben a

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háztartásokban emlékeztek az előző beszélgetésekre és a tájékoztató beszélgetéseken elhangzottakra. Az emberek többsége ezekben az otthonokban nyitottabb volt a környezeti problémákkal kapcsolatos kérdésekre, megbeszélték a BiogasAccepted projekt látogatása során elhangzottakat ismerőseikkel, munkatársaikkal és családtagjaikkal. Nem ellenezték, hogy ezekről a témákról ismét beszélgessünk és nyíltan vetették fel kérdéseiket. Azok között, akik először találkoztak felmérőinkkel az ismeretek hiánya továbbra is nyilvánvaló volt, de 3 olyan háztartásban jártunk, ahol a korábban tájékozatlan emberek ismereteiket a felmérésben részt vett ismerőseiktől szerezték be. Arra következtethetünk, hogy a személyes megkeresés időigényes, de hatékony módja annak, hogy a lakosságot tájékoztassuk és az emberek hajlandóak a megújuló energiákkal foglalkozni, ha megfelelő információval rendelkeznek.

Bevezetés Klárafalva a Dél-Magyarországi régióban fekvő falu. Klárafalva lakosainak száma 500 főre tehető, a lakosok túlnyomó többsége a mezőgazdaságban dolgozik. A biogáz üzem 2007-ben kezdett el működni. Kapacitása 500 kWh, ami közepesnek számít Magyarországon. Az alkalmazott technológiát német beszállítók építették ki, egy mezofil fermentorból és kisegítő egységekből áll. A kezdeti beüzemelési nehézségek után is változó eredményességgel működött a biogáz üzem, feltehetően a gyakorlatlan kezelőszemélyzet és tulajdonosok miatt. A biogáz üzem alapvetően állati hulladékot (sertés hígtrágya) kezel, amit cukorcirok szilázzsal kevernek, de az üzem beindulása után hamarosan elkezdett konyhai hulladékokat, éttermi maradékokat is befogadni, valamint a tollfeldolgozó üzem szennyvizét is itt dolgozták fel. Az üzem kombinált hő- és elektromos áram típusú felhasználási útvonalat választott a biogáz feldolgozás számára. A keletkező hulladék-hőt kiválóan tudták hasznosítani a tollfeldolgozó üzemben egész éven folyamán, a termelt elektromos áramot a hálózaton keresztül értékesítették. A fermentációs maradék a társaságok kezelésében levő mezőgazdasági területeken műtrágya kiváltó lehet. A biogáz üzem egy különálló gazdasági tevékenység, amely szoros gazdasági kapcsolatban áll a tollfeldolgozó tevékenységgel, a tulajdonosi kör átfedő. 2009-ben mindkét gazdasági tevékenység komoly gazdasági nehézségekkel találkozott. Ráadásul a biogáz üzemben történt egy kisebb üzemi baleset a kellően kiképzetlen kezelőszemélyzet hibájából, aminek eredményeként a gáztároló fólia zsák felhasadt. A keletkező költségek miatt mindkét üzem jelenleg szünetelteti működését. Ennek eredményeként a falu lakosságának csaknem fele munkanélkülivé vált. A közösség a szolgáltatások kifizetésével küzd, miután a legnagyobb helyi adófizető nem működik. A feltételezett elfogadási problémák a biogáz üzem körül kialakult gazdasági nehézségekből származhatnak elsősorban. Előkészületek A biogáz üzemet kezelő vállalkozás a Magyar Biogáz Egyesület (MBA) aktív tagja volt, így régi szakmai kapcsolat áll fenn. A vállalkozások várható összeomlása nem volt előre látható a kérdőíves adatgyűjtés idején.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 A helyi lakosság nem volt kooperatív az adatgyűjtés időszakában, sokan nem vállalták a válaszadást. Ez részben annak tulajdonítható, hogy a helybeliek kiábrándultak, mert a tollfeldolgozó tevékenységtől és a hozzá kapcsolódó biogáz termelési tevékenységtől a helyi gazdaság felvirágoztatását várták. A leggyakrabban hangoztatott elutasító válaszok szerint “nekem ehhez semmi közöm”, “nincs ilyesmire időm”, “nincs elegendő információm”, stb. Ezekkel gyakran találkoztunk a többi helyszínen is. Figyelemreméltó, hogy a megkérdezett emberek nem voltak annyira biogáz ellenesek, ahogyan ez az adott helyzetben várható és értelmezhető lett volna. Személyes, ajtóról ajtóra típusú megkeresés mellett döntöttünk. ez javított egy keveset a statisztikán, de érdemi megoldást nem hozott. Azok száma meglehetősen alacsony volt, akik pozitívan viszonyulnak a kérdőíves felméréshez és rendelkeztek megfelelő ismeretekkel a biogáz témakörből. Azért megállapíthattuk, hogy szignifikánsan többen voltak ebben az esetben, akik tudtak valamit a technológiáról és a potenciális nehézségekről a többi színhelyhez viszonyítva. A kérdőívekre adott válaszok begyűjtése előtt alapos beszélgetésre volt szükség, amelynek során munkatársaink elmagyarázták a biogáz technológiával kapcsolatos alapvető tudnivalókat és ismertették a BiogasAccepted projekt lényegét, céljait. Ez a személyes tájékoztatás láthatóan sokat javított a lakosok hozzáállásán, akik így pozitívabb vélemény tudtak kialakítani egy olyan témában, amelyről kevés ismerettel rendelkeztek korábban. Azt is tapasztaltuk, hogy az emberek nyíltabban vettek részt a felmérésben, ha névtelenséget biztosítottunk számukra. Ezért a kérdőívek kitölsétekor a személyes adatok felvételét mellőztük. A Magyar Biogáz Egyesület (MBA) a munkával párhuzamosan egy széleskörű kampányt szervezett a biogázról, amelyben több száz 11-13 éves iskolás vett részt ismeretterjesztő vetélkedő keretében. A kampányhoz a helyi írott és elektronikus média is csatlakozott, számos tájékoztató írás és műsor látott napvilágot a témában. A kampány a Dél-Alföldi régióra koncentrált elsősorban. Több megkérdezett emlékezett arra, amit a kampány során a biogázról hallott a helyi médiában vagy gyermekeiktől. A helyi média természetesen beszámolt a klárafalvi biogáz üzemmel kapcsolatos fejleményekről az indítás és felszámolás folyamatáról. A kérdőív használata Mintegy 100-120 háztartást látogatunk meg, összesen 20-20 kérdőívet töltöttünk ki a CHP és HÁLOZAT témakörökből. A válaszok tükrözték az emberek sekélyes ismereteit a biogáz technológiával és a megújulók fontosságával kapcsolatban. Magyarország igen alaposan el van látva lakossági földgáz vezetékkel a legtöbb háztartásban ezt használják. Az árak ugyan jelentősen emelkedtek, de az emberek még most is megfelelőnek és kényelmesnek tartják ezt az energiahordozót. Ez nagyrészt betudható a jelentős földgáz ártámogatásnak, amely a szociális háló része. Ezért a környezetvédelmi megfontolások kevés embert motiválnak az átállásra, ritkán tapasztalható a személyes motiváltság. Érdekes, hogy a megvizsgált esetek közül a legkisebb falu Klárafalván és a nagyváros Debrecenben tapasztaltuk a legkevesebb pozitív hozzáállást. Ezt a helyi viszonyokkal nehéz magyarázni, hiszen nyilvánvalóan nagyon különböző a két helyszín az életszínvonal, iskolázottság és egyéb fontosnak ítélhető szempont alapján. A helyes ismeretek hiánya miatt sok válaszadónál tapasztaltuk a félelmet az új, ismeretlen technológiától Általánosan megfigyelhető volt az aggodalom a vállalkozás gazdasági veszélyeitől, ami nem meglepő a falu szeme alőtt éppen kibontakozó események tükrében. A

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közösségben ekkor kezdtek elterjedni a hírek a falu lakosainak jelentős részét érintő gazdasági problémákról és az emberek aggódtak a munkahelyeikért. A hulladékok megfelelő kezelését azért a megkérdezettek többsége fontosnak tartotta. Javaslatok az elfogadottság javítására Javaslataink: Az alapoktatásba be kell vezetni olyan ismeretek átadását, amelyek a környezet fokozott védelméről, a megújuló energiák fontosságáról szólnak. Amint a biogáz üzem működőképessé válik ismét, feltétlenül olyen szakemberek segítségét kell kérni, akik ismerik a technológiát és a működtetési problémákat időben el tudják hárítani. A kezelőszemélyzet megfelelő és rendszeres oktatásával el kell kerülni a berendezések meghibásodását. Ismertterjesztő anyagokat kell a helyi lakosság rendelkezésére bocsátani. Ehhez jó mintaként használható az MBA által a biogáz kampány során készített biogáz füzet. A helyi médiát fokozottan kell bevonni a tájékoztatásba. A sikeres történeteket széleskörűen kell bemutatni a lakosságnak. Az elfogadottság növekedésének mérése A projekt hatásainak mérésére egy második kérdőíves felmérést is végeztünk. Ekkor a válaszadókat a korábban meglátogatott területről választottuk ki,de az anonimitás miatt nem ugyanazokat az embereket kérdeztük meg. Egyszerűsített kérdőívet használtunk. A biogáz megítélésével kapcsolatban pozitív változást lehetett tapasztalni annak ellenére, hogy a hírek terjedtek a faluban a fontos helyi ipar közeledő csődjéről. Ez részben annak tudható be, hogy több helyen a már korábban meglátogatott emberekkel találkoztunk ismét. Ezekben a háztartásokban emlékeztek az előző beszélgetésekre és a tájékoztató beszélgetéseken elhangzottakra. Az emberek többsége ezekben az otthonokban nyitottabb volt a környezeti problémákkal kapcsolatos kérdésekre, megbeszélték a BiogasAccepted projekt látogatása során elhangzottakat ismerőseikkel, munkatársaikkal és családtagjaikkal. Nem ellenezték, hogy ezekről a témákról ismét beszélgessünk és nyíltan vetették fel kérdéseiket. Azok között, akik először találkoztak felmérőinkkel az ismeretek hiánya továbbra is nyilvánvaló volt, de 2 olyan háztartásban jártunk, ahol a korábban tájékozatlan emberek ismereteiket a felmérésben részt vett ismerőseiktől szerezték be. Arra következtethetünk, hogy a személyes megkeresés időigényes, de hatékony módja annak, hogy a lakosságot tájékoztassuk és az emberek hajlandóak a megújuló energiákkal foglalkozni, ha megfelelő információval rendelkeznek.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3

Bevezetés Nyírbátor egy kisváros 13,000 lakossal az ország Észak-keleti csücskében. A biogáz telep 2002 óta működik, mai kapacitása 2.5 MWh, ezzel Magyarország második legnagyobb mezőgazdasági alapanyagokat feldolgozó üzeme. A technológiát Németországból hozták, mezofil és termofil fermentációs lépéseket is végeznek. Az indulással járó nehézségek után az üzem kiegyensúlyozottan működik, a kezelőszemélyzet jól képzett. Az üzemben elsősorban állati hulladékokat, főként csirketrágyát, valamint a csirke feldolgozás melléktermékeit, energia növényeket és szarvasmarha trágyát használnak alapanyagként. Az üzem gazdaságosság jelentősen erősödött, amikor néhány éve a vágóhídi hulladékok kezeléséhez szükséges sterilező berendezéseket üzembe állították hiszen a hulladék átvételi díj mellett ez komoly biogáz hozam növekedést is eredményezett. A biogázt CHP motorokban égetik el, az áramot a hálózatra táplálják. A hulladékhőt és az áram egy részét helyben hasznosítják a csirkenevelőkben és a húsfeldolgozó üzemben. A fermentációs maradékot a vállalkozás csoport tulajdonában levő közeli mezőgazdasági területen helyezik el, ezzel csökkentve a műtrágya felhasználást. A feltételezett elfogadottsági problémák az üzem méretéből adódhatnak, ami szaghatással és a szállításokból származó problémákból tevődhetnek össze. Előkészületek Az üzem tulajdonosa Dr. Petis Mihály a Magyar Biogáz Egyesület (MBE) tagja, évek óta a vezetőség munkájából is kiveszi részét. A megújuló energiák elkötelezett híve, különösen jártas a biogázzal kapcsolatos ügyekben. Vállalkozás csoportja a régió meghatározó gazdasági ereje és munkáltatója. A régió a magyar munkanélküliség egyik kiemelt gócpontja. A biogáz üzem rendszeresen fogad látogatókat. A lakosságot először telefonon próbáltuk elérni, de szinte mindenki elzárkózott a válaszadástól a gyakori telefonos politikai és kereskedelmi kampányok miatt. A leggyakrabban hangoztatott elutasító válaszok szerint “nekem ehhez semmi közöm”, “nincs ilyesmire időm”, “nincs elegendő információm”, “fizetnek érte?”, stb. Ezekkel gyakran találkoztunk a többi helyszínen is. Személyes, ajtóról ajtóra típusú megkeresés mellett döntöttünk. A felmérésben való részvételi hajlandóság így is alacsony volt. Azok száma meglehetősen alacsony volt, akik pozitívan viszonyulnak a kérdőíves felméréshez és rendelkeztek megfelelő ismeretekkel a biogáz témakörből. A kérdőívekre adott válaszok begyűjtése előtt alapos beszélgetésre volt szükség, amelynek során munkatársaink elmagyarázták a biogáz technológiával kapcsolatos alapvető tudnivalókat és ismertették a BiogasAccepted projekt lényegét, céljait. Ez a személyes tájékoztatás láthatóan sokat javított a lakosok hozzáállásán, akik így pozitívabb vélemény tudtak kialakítani egy olyan témában, amelyről kevés ismerettel rendelkeztek korábban. Azt is tapasztaltuk, hogy az emberek nyíltabban vettek részt a felmérésben, ha névtelenséget biztosítottunk számukra. Ezért a kérdőívek kitöltésekor a személyes adatok felvételét mellőztük. A Magyar Biogáz Egyesület (MBA) a munkával párhuzamosan egy széleskörű kampányt szervezett a biogázról, amelyben több száz 11-13 éves iskolás vett részt ismeretterjesztő

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vetélkedő keretében. A kampányhoz a helyi írott és elektronikus média is csatlakozott, számos tájékoztató írás és műsor látott napvilágot a témában. A kampány a Dél-Alföldi régióra koncentrált elsősorban ezért ezen a helyszínen kevés hatását lehetett érezni. A kérdőív használata Mintegy 100-120 háztartást látogatunk meg, összesen 20-20 kérdőívet töltöttünk ki a CHP és HÁLOZAT témakörökből. A válaszok tükrözték az emberek sekélyes ismereteit a biogáz technológiával és a megújulók fontosságával kapcsolatban. Magyarország igen alaposan el van látva lakossági földgáz vezetékkel a legtöbb háztartásban ezt használják. Az árak ugyan jelentősen emelkedtek, de az emberek még most is megfelelőnek és kényelmesnek tartják ezt az energiahordozót. Ez nagyrészt betudható a jelentős földgáz ártámogatásnak, amely a szociális háló része. Ezért a környezetvédelmi megfontolások kevés embert motiválnak az átállásra, ritkán tapasztalható a személyes motiváltság. A helyes ismeretek hiánya miatt sok válaszadónál tapasztaltuk a félelmet az új, ismeretlen technológiától Általánosan megfigyelhető volt az aggodalom a potenciális robbanásveszélytől és büdösségtől. A hulladékok megfelelő kezelését azért a megkérdezettek többsége fontosnak tartotta. Javaslatok az elfogadottság javítására Javaslataink: Az alapoktatásba be kell vezetni olyan ismeretek átadását, amelyek a környezet fokozott védelméről, a megújuló energiák fontosságáról szólnak. Alaposabb kapcsolatot kell kiépíteni az üzemek és a helyi lakosság között például üzemlátogatások szervezésével, amikor felkészült vezetők bemutatják és tevékenységet és elmagyarázzák a technológia működését. Az üzemek kezelőit motiválni kell a feladatra. Ismertterjesztő anyagokat kell a helyi lakosság rendelkezésére bocsátani. Ehhez jó mintaként használható az MBA által a biogáz kampány során készített biogáz füzet. A helyi médiát fokozottan kell bevonni a tájékoztatásba. A sikeres történeteket széleskörűen kell bemutatni a lakosságnak. Az elfogadottság növekedésének mérése A projekt hatásainak mérésére egy második kérdőíves felmérést is végeztünk. Ekkor a válaszadókat a korábban meglátogatott területről választottuk ki,de az anonimitás miatt nem ugyanazokat az embereket kérdeztük meg. Egyszerűsített kérdőívet használtunk. A biogáz megítélésével kapcsolatban pozitív változást lehetett tapasztalni. Ez részben annak tudható be, hogy több esetben a már korábban meglátogatott emberekkel találkoztunk ismét. Ezekben a háztartásokban emlékeztek az előző beszélgetésekre és a tájékoztató beszélgetéseken elhangzottakra. Az emberek többsége ezekben az otthonokban nyitottabb volt a környezeti problémákkal kapcsolatos kérdésekre, megbeszélték a BiogasAccepted projekt látogatása során elhangzottakat ismerőseikkel, munkatársaikkal és családtagjaikkal. Nem ellenezték, hogy ezekről a témákról ismét beszélgessünk és nyíltan vetették fel kérdéseiket. Azok között, akik először találkoztak felmérőinkkel az ismeretek hiánya továbbra is nyilvánvaló volt, de 2 olyan

44

BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 háztartásban jártunk, ahol a korábban tájékozatlan emberek ismereteiket a felmérésben részt vett ismerőseiktől szerezték be. Arra következtethetünk, hogy a személyes megkeresés időigényes, de hatékony módja annak, hogy a lakosságot tájékoztassuk és az emberek hajlandóak a megújuló energiákkal foglalkozni, ha megfelelő információval rendelkeznek.

Bevezetés Pálhalma egy nagyobb Közép-Magyarországi város, Dunaújváros elővárosaként tekinthető. Dunaújvárosnak 50 000 lakosa van és jelentős nehézipari központ volt 1999-ig. A biogáz telep 2007 óta üzemel, jelenlegi kapacitása 1,75 MWh, ami nagynak számít Magyarországon. A technológiát Németországból importálták, két nagy mezofil fermentor képezi a gerincét. Az indulással járó nehézségek után az üzem kiegyensúlyozottan működik, a kezelőszemélyzet jól képzett. Az üzemben elsősorban állati hulladékokat, főként sertéstrágyát, valamint energia növényként silókukoricát használnak alapanyagként. Az üzem gazdaságossági szempontból stabil. Ez részben annak tudható be, hogy a biogáz üzem egy nagy börtön közelében épült. Az elítéltek dolgoznak a földeken és a sertéstelepen és a börtön használja fel a megtermelődött hőt is. A biogázt CHP motorokban égetik el, az áramot a hálózatra táplálják. A fermentációs maradékot a vállalkozás csoport tulajdonában levő közeli mezőgazdasági területen helyezik el, ezzel csökkentve a műtrágya felhasználást. A biogáz üzem a börtöntől függetlenül működő gazdasági vállalkozás, de a környékre belépő látogatókra bizonyos megszorítások érvényesek. A feltételezett elfogadottsági problémák az üzem méretéből adódhatnak, ami szaghatással és a szállításokból származó problémákból tevődhetnek össze. Nem elhanyagolható a potenciális panaszkodás a közelben lakók részéről, bár nincs jelentős lakosság az érintett területen belül. Előkészületek Az üzemeltető vállalkozás a Magyar Biogáz Egyesület (MBE) tagja bár a vállalkozás vezetősége gyakran cserélődött az utóbbi időben. A megújuló energiák elkötelezett híve, különösen jártas a biogázzal kapcsolatos ügyekben. Vállalkozás csoportja a régió meghatározó gazdasági ereje és munkáltatója. Ez az egyetlen magyar biogáz vállalkozás, amelynek sikerült bekapcsolódnia a nemzetközi biogáz kvóta értékesítési rendszerbe. A lakosságot először telefonon próbáltuk elérni, de szinte mindenki elzárkózott a válaszadástól a gyakori telefonos politikai és kereskedelmi kampányok miatt. A leggyakrabban hangoztatott elutasító válaszok szerint “nekem ehhez semmi közöm”, “nincs ilyesmire időm”, “nincs elegendő információm”, “fizetnek érte?”, stb. Ezekkel gyakran találkoztunk a többi helyszínen is. Személyes, ajtóról ajtóra típusú megkeresés mellett döntöttünk. A felmérésben való részvételi hajlandóság így is alacsony volt. Azok száma meglehetősen alacsony volt, akik pozitívan viszonyulnak a kérdőíves felméréshez és rendelkeztek megfelelő ismeretekkel a biogáz témakörből. A kérdőívekre adott válaszok begyűjtése előtt alapos beszélgetésre volt szükség, amelynek során munkatársaink elmagyarázták a biogáz technológiával kapcsolatos alapvető tudnivalókat és ismertették a BiogasAccepted projekt lényegét, céljait. Ez a személyes

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tájékoztatás láthatóan sokat javított a lakosok hozzáállásán, akik így pozitívabb vélemény tudtak kialakítani egy olyan témában, amelyről kevés ismerettel rendelkeztek korábban. Azt is tapasztaltuk, hogy az emberek nyíltabban vettek részt a felmérésben, ha névtelenséget biztosítottunk számukra. Ezért a kérdőívek kitöltésekor a személyes adatok felvételét mellőztük. A Magyar Biogáz Egyesület (MBA) a munkával párhuzamosan egy széleskörű kampányt szervezett a biogázról, amelyben több száz 11-13 éves iskolás vett részt ismeretterjesztő vetélkedő keretében. A kampányhoz a helyi írott és elektronikus média is csatlakozott, számos tájékoztató írás és műsor látott napvilágot a témában. A kampány a Dél-Alföldi régióra koncentrált elsősorban de néhány akciója a Közép-magyarországi régióba is kiterjedt. Több megkérdezett emlékezett erre a kampányra, ezért ezen a helyszínen jelentős hatást lehetett érezni. A helyi média komoly szerepre kapott felkérést, ebből nem sok realizálódott. A kérdőív használata Mintegy 100-120 háztartást látogatunk meg, összesen 20-20 kérdőívet töltöttünk ki a CHP és HÁLOZAT témakörökből. A válaszok tükrözték az emberek sekélyes ismereteit a biogáz technológiával és a megújulók fontosságával kapcsolatban. Magyarország igen alaposan el van látva lakossági földgáz vezetékkel a legtöbb háztartásban ezt használják. Az árak ugyan jelentősen emelkedtek, de az emberek még most is megfelelőnek és kényelmesnek tartják ezt az energiahordozót. Ez nagyrészt betudható a jelentős földgáz ártámogatásnak, amely a szociális háló része. Ezért a környezetvédelmi megfontolások kevés embert motiválnak az átállásra, ritkán tapasztalható a személyes motiváltság. A helyes ismeretek hiánya miatt sok válaszadónál tapasztaltuk a félelmet az új, ismeretlen technológiától Általánosan megfigyelhető volt az aggodalom a potenciális robbanásveszélytől és büdösségtől. A hulladékok megfelelő kezelését azért a megkérdezettek többsége fontosnak tartotta.Mintegy 100-120 háztartást látogatunk meg, összesen 20-20 kérdőívet töltöttünk ki a CHP és HÁLOZAT témakörökből. A válaszok tükrözték az emberek sekélyes ismereteit a biogáz technológiával és a megújulók fontosságával kapcsolatban. Magyarország igen alaposan el van látva lakossági földgáz vezetékkel a legtöbb háztartásban ezt használják. Az árak ugyan jelentősen emelkedtek, de az emberek még most is megfelelőnek és kényelmesnek tartják ezt az energiahordozót. Ez nagyrészt betudható a jelentős földgáz ártámogatásnak, amely a szociális háló része. Ezért a környezetvédelmi megfontolások kevés embert motiválnak az átállásra, ritkán tapasztalható a személyes motiváltság. A helyes ismeretek hiánya miatt sok válaszadónál tapasztaltuk a félelmet az új, ismeretlen technológiától Általánosan megfigyelhető volt az aggodalom a potenciális robbanásveszélytől és büdösségtől. A hulladékok megfelelő kezelését azért a megkérdezettek többsége fontosnak tartotta.

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3

The following letters describe the action for Austria and have been sent to the neighbours, accompanied by a letter, thanking for contributing to the action. Figure 1: Letter to neighbours in Molln, describing the outcome of the action

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 Figure 2: Letter to neighbours in Pettenbach, describing the outcome of the action

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3

Opis regionów Województwo Śląskie PL22 Województwo Śląskie leży na południu Polski, region określany jest również jako Górny Śląsk. Stolicą województwa są Katowice. Jest to region przemysłowy. Większośd kopalo węgla ulokowanych jest w zagłębiach Górnośląski Okręgu Przemysłowego i Rybnickiego Okręgu Węglowego, główne miasta to Rybnik, Jastrzębie Zdrój, Żory i Wodzisław Śląski. Najważniejszymi gałęziami przemysłu w regionie są: górnictwo, przemysł metalowy, metalurgiczny, energetyczny, przemysł motoryzacyjny, chemiczny, materiałów budowlanych, przemysł tekstylny. W przeszłości gospodarka województwa zdominowana była przez górnictwo węglowe. Obecnie, patrząc na wielkośd inwestycji, proporcje te zmieniają się i inne sektory, np. motoryzacyjny, nabierają coraz większego znaczenia. Największym wyzwaniem przed którym stoi województwo jest restrukturyzacja tego obszaru i transformacja w kierunku wielofunkcyjnego regionu konkurencyjnego w warunkach wolnorynkowych.

Województwo Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship PL61 Województwo Kujawsko-Pomorskie jest położone w centralnej części Polski. Region składa się z 19 powiatów, 4 miast na prawach powiatu I 144 gmin. Przemysł spożywczy, funkcjonujący na bazie dobrze rozwiniętego w województwie rolnictwa jest dominująca gałęzią przemysłu. Innymi znaczącymi gałęziami są przemysł chemiczny i papierniczy. W województwie podjęto wiele inicjatyw proekologicznych, spośród których należy wyróżnid nowoczesne oczyszczalnie ścieków.

Liszkowo Instytut nawiązał kontakt z firmą Aufwind Schmack Nowa Energia, firmą realizującą inwestycje budowy biogazowni o mocy 2 MWel. Wszystkie działania na miejscu podejmowane były w porozumieniu z firmą. Inwestycja w momencie podejmowania badao była już zaawansowana, w toku realizacji projektu BiogasAccepted biogazownię oddano do użytku. Obiekt jest jedną z większych instalacji tego rodzaju w Polsce. W momencie podjęcia współpracy inwestycje była zaawansowana, wszelkie niezbędne dokumenty środowiskowe były przygotowane i obiekt posiadał stosowne pozwolenia. Inwestycja budziła jednak kontrowersje wśród mieszkaoców. Po wstępnych rozmowach z przedstawicielami firmy realizującej inwestycje zdecydowano, że właściwym rodzajem będą spotkania z Grupą Celową3. Spotkania z mieszkaocami odbywały 3

Należy zwrócid uwagę, że projekt w Liszkowie był pierwszym studium przypadku w Polsce i na tym etapie zbierano praktyczne doświadczenia w badaniach terenowych BiogasAccepted.

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się w sierpniu 2009. Dyskutowano na tematy związane z biogazem, ale w odniesieniu do inwestycji w Liszkowie. Na podstawie rozmów sformułowane zostały następujące rekomendacje: Instalacja jest postrzegana w bardzo zróżnicowany sposób. Częśd mieszkaoców popiera jej lokalizację i jest wręcz dumna, że togo rodzaju obiekt powstaje w Liszkowie, podczas gdy inni mieszkaocy są przeciwni i są gotowi protestowad. Wiedza o biogazowniach jest niska, niektórzy zetknęły się z tego rodzaju instalacjami podczas pobytu w Niemczech. Osoby takie wydawały się mied posłuch u innych. Bezpośredni sąsiedzi instalacji narzekali na odory, które w pewnych okresach są bardzo intensywne. Osoby te bardzo emocjonalnie wypowiadały się o instalacji. Nie wszyscy mieszkaocy byli świadomi tego, że inwestor wybudował, ponosząc duże koszty, dodatkową lagunę do przetrzymywania osadów pofermentacyjnych. W celu poprawienia akceptacji należy uwzględnid uzasadnione jak się wydaje skargi4 na nieznośne odory. Należy dokładad starao w sposób ciągły nad wysokim reżimem pracy biogazowni (np. niedopuszczanie do wycieków, czy tymczasowego składowania substratów w niewłaściwym miejscu). Szarlej Biogazownia rolnicza w miejscowości Szarlej jest dopiero planowana. Realizowad inwestycje o mocy 1,6 MWel ma, podobnie jak w Liszkowie, firma Aufwind Schmack Nowa Energia. Projekt w fazie przygotowawczej napotkała na ostry sprzeciw miejscowej społeczności. W styczniu 2008 roku odbyła się publiczna rozprawa administracyjna, na której obecni byli przedstawiciele władz samorządowych, odpowiedzialni za wydawanie pozwoleo i decyzji środowiskowych, przedstawiciele inwestora i mieszkaocy. Spotkanie przebiegło w atmosferze emocjonalnej i nie udało się wypracowad konstruktywnych wniosków co do dalszych losów projektu. Po analizie sytuacji zdecydowano przeprowadzid badania ankietowe, przy czym ważny był w tym przypadku zarówno rozmiar obiektu, jak i duża skala i intensywne protesty mieszkaoców. Niezwykle pomocną osobą był pracownik Wydziału Środowiska znający sprawę od początku i od strony administracyjnej. Badania ankietowe przeprowadzone zostały w maju 2009, przy dystrybucji i wypełnianiu ankiet brały udział 3 osoby. Po interpretacji wyników badao ankietowych za pomocą metodyki BiogasAccepted sformułowano (w tym analizy porównawczej – benchmarking) poniższe wnioski” Wyniki badao są zbieżne z wynikami innych projektów w zakresie” zainteresowania biogazem, uwarunkowao regionalnych i wartości indywidualnych.

4

Nie można w sposób całkowicie pewny stwierdzid stan faktyczny jedynie na podstawie jedynie na podstawie kilku wizyt. Ponadto w czasie rozmów instalacji nie funkcjonowała w pełni i bardziej miarodajne oceny

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BiogasAccepted: Deliverable 5.3 Wyniki są rozbieżne w wymiarze: zainteresowania odnawialnymi źródłami energii, akceptacją projektu, potrzebami regionu i indywidualnym zaangażowaniem. Wynik potwierdziły fakt silnej opozycji dla instalacji, z drugiej zaś strony duże nią zainteresowanie. Z uwagi na fakt, że 55% ankietowanych osób zadeklarowało chęd uczestniczenia w wydarzeniu (event) związanym z biogazownią, a około 30% chęd uczestniczenia w wycieczce do biogazowni inwestor może zorganizowad tego rodzaju wydarzenie promocyjne i zwiększające nieduża wiedze o biogazowniach. Wyjątkowo niskie wartości wymiaru „indywidualnego zaangażowania” wskazują na pasywne postawy respondentów. Zaleca się intensywne działania na obszarze wymiarów, które wypadają słabo w porównaniu do analogicznych badao w innych krajach (analiza porównawcza). Inwestor nie ma jednak realnego wpływu na zmiany postaw, dlatego rekomenduje się jak najczęstszą komunikację z mieszkaocami, organizowanie wydarzeo aktywizujących społecznośd.