Consumers’ acceptance of the explosion, toxicity, and odor potential of ammonia: A survey on consumers’ choice of an ammonia-based hydrogen refueling station

Abstract

Ammonia can help decarbonize energy systems as a hydrogen energy carrier or a carbon-free fuel. However, consumers’ acceptance of ammonia will be low because ammonia has the potential for explosion, toxicity, and odor. This study analyzed consumers’ ammonia acceptance based on a survey method by assuming hydrogen refueling stations with six attributes, including explosion, toxicity, and odor potential of gases for hydrogen production. Respondents avoided the negative attributes of ammonia in the order of the explosion (−1.788), toxicity (−1.025), and odor (−0.222) potential. A carbon tax (USD 205.338/ton CO2 eq) increased ammonia acceptance, but its effects on the acceptance rate were only 5 %p. Additionally, respondents who had knowledge of ammonia safety had a lower reluctance toward ammonia. The utility coefficients of the explosion and toxicity potential of ammonia were −1.630 and −0.907 for respondents with the knowledge, and −1.949 and −1.136 for those without the knowledge. Therefore, it is important to improve the perception of ammonia safety rather than depend on the greenness of ammonia and monetary incentives. It is also important to develop technological measures to control the explosion potential of ammonia, the most significant factor in determining ammonia acceptance.