The model optimizes hydrogen supply costs to Europe, analyzing cavern costs and seasonal flexibility across six scenarios.
A linear optimization import model has been developed to minimize total supply costs associated with delivering gaseous and liquid hydrogen from production sites to the European border. The model accounts for all cost components related to hydrogen production, storage, and transportation. Country-specific assumptions are incorporated using detailed techno-economic data and transport distances.
The analysis covers exporting countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Chile, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia, with the European Union as the only importing region. The model integrates a hydrogen energy infrastructure, including production facilities powered by renewable energy (photovoltaics, onshore and offshore wind), liquefaction plants, underground storage caverns, and transport networks (pipelines and shipping terminals).
Model parameters are set within a temporal resolution framework utilizing annual modeling with daily time steps. Weather-dependent renewable energy variability is captured using 2018 meteorological data, while hydrogen demand is derived from PyPSA import node data. Socio-economic constraints are imposed on hydrogen production to reflect local resource availability.
Investment and operational decisions are guided by cost analysis, ensuring economic feasibility of infrastructure deployment. Exporting countries are subdivided into subregions to account for coastal distance and renewable resource quality. Import strategies include pipeline imports (Morocco to Spain, Tunisia to Italy) and shipping imports to central Europe, supporting logistical efficiency and energy market integration.
Moreover, the model is applied to six distinct scenarios: two scenarios capture variations in cavern costs (low and base), and three scenarios address the degree of flexibility in seasonal supply variations. This multi-scenario approach enables a robust sensitivity analysis of the supply chain costs under different infrastructural and temporal conditions.