Public-private Collaboration in the Danish Power-to-X Market

Abstract

The academic literature on Power-to-X (PtX) has not yet been treated by the social sciences. This is due to the recent market development of the PtX technology. This thesis makes a contribution to the literature on the topic of PtX by assessing how public-private collaboration influences the Danish PtX market. With the Danish PtX market as a case study, this thesis has gathered primary data in the form of interviews. This provided in-depth insights from the actors representing both the public and private sectors involved in the PtX market. The maritime sector has been analyzed as the off-take market as it constitutes a large part of the demand for PtX fuels. To assess how public-private collaboration influences the market development of the Danish PtX market, the concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and the theory of Technological Innovation System (TIS) have been operationalized into an analytical framework. The PPP framework is used to conceptualize collaboration between public and private actors. Thematic coding of interview data was conducted based on the aspects of collaboration to identify collaborative activities. The TIS framework encompasses seven functions that are determining for the diffusion of innovative technology, i.e., the development of the PtX market. This thesis finds that TIS functions are fulfilled through collaborative activities between public and private actors. Collaboration is established around a common goal, and market risk is shared and mitigated by the sharing and aggregation of resources. Therefore, the fulfillment of the functions could not have happened to the same extent in the absence of collaboration.