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Hydrogen Fuel Delivery Resilience: Optimizing Infrastructure and Minimizing Environmental Impact in California - Hydrogen has emerged as a promising clean-energy provider, offering a potential solution to decarbonize the transportation sector. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recently selected seven regional clean hydrogen hubs (H₂ hubs) to propel a national network for the production, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen, with California leading one of the key hubs. California stands to benefit significantly from a thriving hydrogen economy due to its high transportation-related carbon emissions, making investments in hydrogen infrastructure critical for its environmental resilience.
This study presents a hydrogen fuel supply chain analysis of distribution and transmission networks to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of gaseous and liquid hydrogen (H₂) transportation modes via gas trucks, liquid trucks, and pipelines across cities of varying sizes and daily vehicle miles traveled. Unlike previous studies, this research integrates detailed information on hydrogen leakage rates to examine the additional cost implications of supplying more hydrogen, offering a comprehensive understanding of the operational and economic aspects of establishing resilient hydrogen infrastructure centered on utilizing hydrogen-powered trucks. This approach addresses a notable gap in existing literature by identifying solutions that reduce hydrogen losses and enhance the sustainability of transport networks.
Through a sensitivity analysis, the study evaluates the costs of distribution, transmission, and station operations, along with the final cost to truck operators compared to diesel. The analysis highlights key factors influencing hydrogen delivery costs, including station design, size, and utilization rates; system leakage rates; electricity input costs ($/kWh); fuel prices; and truck operating costs. The findings emphasize that while liquid and gaseous trucks are cost-effective at lower demands, pipelines become increasingly viable due to economies of scale and transport efficiency as demand and distances increase. Station scale economies and larger hydrogen systems capable of supporting low-cost pipeline delivery are crucial to reducing overall hydrogen costs and improving competitiveness with diesel.
A Monte Carlo simulation, incorporating parameters from the sensitivity analysis, sheds light on the complex uncertainties within the hydrogen supply chain and provides guidance for infrastructure investments under shifting economic conditions in California. The study explores whether any delivery mode is universally preferred across varying demand levels and geographic scales. By highlighting the interplay between technological and economic factors, the recommendations prioritize investments in technologies that reduce hydrogen leakage, electricity costs, electricity carbon intensity and scale infrastructure based on anticipated hydrogen demand. Identifying the key cost and environmental drivers in the hydrogen supply chain is essential to building resilient transport systems and achieving a cost-effective transition to hydrogen-powered transportation in the region.
