Design and Optimization of a Multi-Mode Hydrogen Delivery Infrastructure for Clean Mobility

This work addresses the infrastructural needs arising from the widespread deployment of hydrogen for clean mobility, by developing a model to optimize the design and operation of a hydrogen distribution infrastructure. The developed tool combines the use of detailed spatial data through a Geographic Information System to define the candidate networks’ topologies and the resolution of a multi-modal transport optimization model to determine the cost-optimal infrastructure, considering a year-long time horizon with daily resolution. The analysis looks at a 2050 scenario with a 25% share of fuel cell electric vehicles among passenger cars, considering the Italian region of Lombardy as case study. Results show the advantages of infrastructural integration in terms of modalities and delivery areas. The resulting optimal infrastructure relies on the parallel use, with a specific mix, of all transport modalities (pipelines, compressed hydrogen trucks, and liquid hydrogen trucks), achieving an average cost of hydrogen production and delivery between 5 €/kg and 8 €/kg.