A spatially-explicit optimization model for long-term hydrogen pipeline planning

One of the major barriers to the deployment of hydrogen as a transportation fuel is the lack of an infrastructure for supplying the fuel to consumers. Consequently, models are needed to evaluate the cost and design of various infrastructure deployment strategies. The best strategy will likely differ between regions based on the spatial distribution of H2 demand and variations in regional feedstock costs. Although several spatially-explicit infrastructure models have been developed, none of the published models are capable of optimizing interconnected regional pipeline networks for linking multiple production facilities and demand locations. This paper describes the Hydrogen Production and Transmission (HyPAT) model, which is a network optimization tool for identifying the lowest cost centralized production and pipeline transmission infrastructure within real geographic regions. A case study in the southwestern United States demonstrates the capabilities and outputs of the model.