Does the public want green hydrogen in industry? Local and national acceptance of methanol and steel transitions in Germany

Abstract

Public perceptions might determine the ease of the transition from a fossil-based to a green hydrogen-based production pathway in the industrial sector. The primary objective of this paper is to empirically identify the antecedents of the acceptance of two relevant industrial applications of green hydrogen: green methanol and green steel. The analysis, relying on linear regression models, utilises survey data from samples of residents near a chemical park and a steel plant (509 and 502 participants, respectively), contrasting them with a representative sample of 1502 individuals in Germany. The findings suggest that acceptance of the transitions to green methanol and green steel is high both locally and nationally. In all surveys, >59 % of the participants are in favour, while the share of those who are opposed to the respective transitions is below 9 %. Key antecedents of acceptance, which are conducive in all models, relate to individuals' attitudes towards green hydrogen and perceptions of the legitimacy of the industry actors involved, with varying results across legitimacy types. In general, the findings were similar across industrial applications and across levels of observation, but varied across regions. This study highlights the importance of civil society perceptions and suggests that relationship management efforts aimed at maintaining positive perceptions of industrial hydrogen applications should consider their broader physical and social contexts.