Multiobjective Life Cycle Optimization of Hydrogen Supply Chains

Abstract Our ability to design cost effective and environmentally friendly hydrogen supply chains plays a key role in the transition toward a cleaner energy system. In this chapter we show how we can formulate the design of hydrogen networks as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem that can be solved by off-the-shelf software packages. This model, underpinned by life cycle thinking, includes environmental objectives along with economic ones, which leads to a multiobjective formulation whose solution is given by a set of Pareto points. From these optimal designs, stakeholders must select the one that best matches their preferences considering the applicable legislation and technical, economic, and environmental constraints. We illustrate how this approach works in practice through its application to the design of the future supply chain (SC) for vehicle use in the UK.