PtX.Country Scoping

Power-to-X in the context of international cooperation

Power-to-X (PtX) stands for concepts and processes for converting electricity (power) based on renewable energies into chemical energy sources, raw materials or directly into heat, where X is a placeholder for various forms of energy and applications. The PtX Hub of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and implemented by GIZ GmbH. The PtX Hub project team is working on the innovation topic of sustainable electricity-based fuels in the context of sustainable development in countries of the Global South with the aim of helping them achieve a global breakthrough. To this end, the PtX Hub develops sustainability frameworks, builds international networks, advises countries and works with them to produce studies and reports on the topic of PtX.

PtX.Country scoping as a methodological approach

Fraunhofer INT has developed the PtX.Country Scoping methodology on behalf of and together with the PtX Hub. The application of PtX.Country Scoping enables the development of a fundamental understanding of GIZ's cooperation countries, including their geographical and economic potential for PtX, their political strategies and social drivers as well as possible obstacles. In addition, PtX.Country Scoping includes a concept for identifying country-specific PtX potentials together with the partner countries on an equal footing. The next step is to identify implementation scenarios that contribute to achieving the desired future.

Involving the local population as the basis for sustainable technological change

Successful, sustainable technological change in countries of the Global South requires a comprehensive understanding of the country, its people and their self-image. It must be directly oriented towards the needs, challenges and abilities of the people living there and consider both the drivers and the barriers in the country. It can be inspired from outside, but must be driven from within the country itself. For this reason, the project adopted a methodological approach that combines traditional research and analyss with guideline-based interviews, online surveys, workshop formats and country-specific scenarios.

PtX.Country Scoping workflow 

As part of the project, a comprehensive concept with step-by-step instructions for implementing this specific country analysis was developed. Design thinking, strategic foresight, scenarios and the three-horizon method can be cited as key methodological core elements. PtX.Country Scoping includes detailed instructions on (1) the preparation of a country report, (2) the implementation of dialog formats based on this country report and finally (3) the preparation of a summarizing presentation. For a PtX Country Report, there is a structured list of criteria and questions to be answered that are directly or indirectly relevant for the assessment of PtX potential. In order to compile the necessary information from the dimensions of geography, politics, economy, society and technology, data-oriented research is carried out in freely available sources. On the other hand, interviews and surveys are also used to gather opinions from the country itself in order to reflect the reality of life there. Workshop formats have been set up for further partnership-based exchange, in which representatives from the partner countries develop sectoral PtX visions together with external PtX experts. Plausible future visions (scenarios) for the country are selected and ways to implement these visions are developed. In the end, narratives (PtX.Country narratives) are created, which on the one hand represent a short and concise summary of the entire analytical PtX scoping process and on the other hand can serve as a guide for the most important stakeholders (politics, business, society – inside and outside the respective country).

Conclusion 

The present PtX.Country Scoping methodology promotes a well-founded and direct exchange with the people in partner countries to understand their needs and living realities and to jointly identify and (further) develop country-specific PtX concepts and value chains.