Abstract
Consensus building among local stakeholders is vital for the success of the proposed initial commercial marine renewable energy (MRE) projects in Japan. Even though the literature on stakeholder acceptance highlights the importance of creating local benefits and co-creation options, very few studies and almost no empirical data have been published on the application of non-monetary benefit creation schemes in the context of MRE. Hence, the purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the possible co-existence options available for Japan’s MRE projects through data collected from interviews and questionnaire surveys in two development sites in Nagasaki and Kitakyushu in Southern Japan. To overcome the limitations of data unavailability and uncertainty, the Dempster Shafer Analytic Hierarchy Process (DS-AHP) was used for evaluating the best co-existence strategy out of five potential options. The results indicate that local fisheries prefer the oceanographic information sharing option whereas most of the other stakeholders prefer using local resources to construct and operate the power plant, creating business involvement opportunities for the local community. Analysis of stakeholders’ decision behaviors suggests that perceived impacts, knowledge, and values influence the preference decision. In addition to the validation of stakeholder preference of the previously proposed co-existence options with empirical data, this study provides a robust method to further evaluate the potential options with the availability of new data.
Highlights
Marine renewable energy (MRE) is often considered to be the renewable energy resources that can be extracted from nearshore and offshore areas such as waves, tidal and ocean currents, thermal and salinity gradients and, offshore wind [1,2,3]
Can be identified as a co-benefit of the MRE projects since most commonly-required ocean information can be generated from the Condition Monitoring System (CMS) of the power farm
A set of novel co-existence options that can be used to create a win-win situation among local coastal communities and the emerging MRE industry in Japan were evaluated based on Dempster Shafer Analytic Hierarchy Process (DS-Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)) in this study
Summary
Marine renewable energy (MRE) is often considered to be the renewable energy resources that can be extracted from nearshore and offshore areas such as waves, tidal and ocean currents, thermal and salinity gradients and, offshore wind [1,2,3]. Most of the MRE technologies are still in the readiness phase, except for the offshore wind energy sector in some European regions [5]. Important differences exist in stakeholder engagement with MRE compared to onshore energy infrastructures [7]. The interactions between power projects and the local community are significantly different among onshore renewable energy projects and MRE projects. Due to the changes caused by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, development of the MRE sector accelerated. Japan is aiming to initiate the first commercial offshore wind projects within the first decade of its accelerated MRE development phase. The required policy regulations, as well as public perceptions, are yet to be implemented and understood for MRE developers to ensure the success of the planned commercial projects
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
