Technology sustainability assessment of biodiesel development in South Africa: A system dynamics approach |
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| Authors: | Josephine K. Musango Alan C. Brent Bamikole Amigun Leon Pretorius Hans Müller |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Gauteng City-Region Observatory which is an institutional partnership between University of Johannesburg, University of Witwatersrand and Gauteng Provincial Government;2. Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University, Sustainability Institute, South Africa;3. Renewable Energy Group, National Biotechnology Development Agency – a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria;4. Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa;5. Centre for Knowledge Dynamics and Decision-making, Department of Information Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa;1. Laboratory for Process, Environmental and Energy Engineering (LEPAE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal;2. School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, s/n, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal;3. National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States |
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| Abstract: | Currently, several renewable energy technologies have reached, or are approaching maturity and can be utilised for small- and large-scale applications. Biodiesel, a cleaner burning replacement fuel, is argued to potentially contribute to sustainable development in many countries and regions of the world. Biodiesel development, however, entails complex interactions of actors such as the technology developers, government at different levels, communities, as well as the natural environment; different actions or responses in the greater system might hinder or undermine the positive effects of such a development. Given such complexity, an integrated and holistic technology assessment approach is indispensible to determine the potential effects of biodiesel development on sustainability in general, which can then inform and enhance proper planning and management. The paper thus introduces the Bioenergy Technology Sustainability Assessment (BIOTSA) model that has been developed, based on a system dynamics approach. The model is demonstrated and evaluated with a specific case: the assessment of the effects of biodiesel development on selected sustainability indicators for the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The strengths and limitations of the model are discussed and future perspectives are outlined. |
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