(540a) Hybrid Approach for Accelerating the Implementation of Hydrogen Infrastructure Using Experience Based Data Formatting and Systematic Decision-Making Framework

Energy plays the pivotal role over entire economic activities. Huge cost with long times should be consumed in developing and implementing an energy system based on an energy source. The process of ‘developing’ involves tackling various technical breakthroughs in commercializing the corresponding energy system. The implementing one involves constructing a large number of facilities over wide areas which are often geographically scattered. It costs more severe time and cost to shift from one energy source into another.

The current world is under such tremendous pressure of shifting from fossil fuel based energy system into a new one. Renewable energy source is definitely preferred but there are sectors in which they cannot meet the entire demand. Transportation sector is a case where hydrogen is emerging as a promising alternative. There are many advantages in employing hydrogen as an energy carrier in the sector such as environmentally clean emission gas. Efforts have been conducted over the world to accelerate the implementation of hydrogen infrastructure.

It is not easy to construct hydrogen infrastructure. Its production cost is still so high that it is not fully competitive against fossil fuels. Furthermore, a small number of hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) still poses handicap that makes the public hesitate to purchase hydrogen vehicles.

This paper introduces how past experiences of Process Systems Engineering (PSE) community can be used to tackle issues in accelerating the hydrogen infrastructure. Particularly hybrid approach in terms of systematic decision-making framework with data preparation process by using data-driven formatting. Case studies illustrating the construction of HRSs in South Korea are presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed framework.