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Hydrogen supply chain and refuelling network design: assessment of alternative scenarios for the long-haul road freight in the UK

Raeesi, Ramin, Searle, Christa, Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye, Marsiliani, Laura, Tian, Mi, Greening, Philip (2023) Hydrogen supply chain and refuelling network design: assessment of alternative scenarios for the long-haul road freight in the UK. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, . ISSN 1879-3487. E-ISSN 0360-3199. (doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.03.474) (KAR id:101172)

Abstract

Shifting from fossil fuels to clean alternative fuel options such as hydrogen is an essential step in decarbonising the road freight transport sector and facilitating an efficient transition towards zero-emissions goods distribution of the future. Designing an economically viable and competitive Hydrogen Supply Chain (HSC) to support and accelerate the widespread adoption of hydrogen powered Heavy Goods Vehicles (H2-HGVs) is, however, significantly hindered by the lack of the infrastructure required for producing, storing, transporting and distributing the required hydrogen. This paper focuses on a bespoke design of a hydrogen supply chain and distribution network for the long-haul road freight transportation in the UK and develops an improved end-to-end and spatially-explicit optimisation tool to perform scenario analysis and provide important first-hand managerial and policy making insights. The proposed methodology improves over existing grid-based methodologies by incorporating spatially-explicit locations of Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRSs) and allowing further flexibility and accuracy. Another distinctive feature of the method and the analyses carried out in the paper pertains to the inclusion of bulk geographically agnostic, as well as geological underground hydrogen storage options, and reporting on significant cost saving opportunities. Finally, the curve for H2-HGVs penetration levels, safety stock period decisions, and the transport mode capacity against hydrogen levelized cost at pump have been generated as important policy making tools to provide decision support and insights into cost, resilience and reliability of the HSC.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.03.474
Uncontrolled keywords: Road freight; Hydrogen supply chain; Distribution network; Hydrogen refuelling station; Underground storage of hydrogen; Hydrogen powered HGV
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD29 Operational Research - Applications
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Analytics, Operations and Systems
Funders: [37325] UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User: Ramin Raeesi
Date Deposited: 07 May 2023 22:16 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 19:48 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/101172 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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