Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Energy: Identifying the Key Dimensions from Two Different Bibliometric Analyzes

Abstract

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been considered as one of the primary mechanisms to mobilize social capital towards infrastructure and services in the energy sector on a global scale. However, the lack of understanding of PPPs in the energy sector has been highlighted as a limiting factor for the full and successful implementation of PPP projects. Accordingly, this research seeks to identify the main dimensions of PPPs in the energy sector. A systematic search was conducted for that purpose. Furthermore, the present study included the application of two different bibliometric packages as analytics tools: VOSviewer and Leximancer. Both different computational approaches were used to identify key dimensions and compare them with results of manual content analysis. The five key dimensions emerged as 1) PPP projects, 2) renewable technologies and electricity in the energy sector, 3) hybrid energy governance, 4) risk and 5) sectoral interlinkages. The development of innovative approaches related to hybrid energy governance and the growing sectoral interlinkages reveals the need for more flexible and participatory PPPs to facilitate the energy transition.