Sustainable Hydrogen Supply Chain in Kuwait: A Feasibility Study

Research conducted in Kuwait, a country abundant with renewable energy resources, has found that implementing a hydrogen supply chain is a promising clean energy alternative for the transportation sector. The study, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, aimed to determine the feasibility of establishing a green hydrogen supply chain in Kuwait, considering cost, environmental impact, and safety/risk.

Key Takeaways:

• The study used a multi-objective design, considering three objective functions: hydrogen supply chain cost, environmental impact, and safety/risk.
• A mathematical formulation based on mixed integer linear programming (MILP) was used, involving a multi-criteria approach where the three considered objectives must be optimized simultaneously.
• The multi-objective optimization approach via the weighted sum method was applied, and results showed that medium and high demand scenarios better reflect the comparative advantages of each considered method in terms of their multi-objective trade-offs.
• Higher hydrogen demand amplifies the impact of higher efficiency and operational savings within several production, storage, and transportation methods.
• Despite higher initial capital investments, these costs are offset by superior operational efficiency as hydrogen production volumes increase.
• The study found that using highly efficient electrolysers or transportation methods at low demand limits their performance.
• The research was peer-reviewed and published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

Statistics:

• Kuwait is a renewable-abundant country in the Arabian Gulf, ideal for producing hydrogen via solar energy (green hydrogen).
• The study used a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation, involving a multi-criteria approach.
• Three objective functions were considered: hydrogen supply chain cost, environmental impact, and safety/risk.
• The study applied a multi-objective optimization approach via the weighted sum method and solved it using GAMS.
• A hybrid AHP-TOPSIS approach was used to account for the ranking of multi-objective criteria.
• The results showed that medium and high demand scenarios better reflect the comparative advantages of each considered method.

Sources:

• Designing a Sustainable Hydrogen Supply Chain Network In the Gulf Cooperation Council (Gcc) Region: Multi-objective Optimisation Using a Kuwait Case-study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2025;142:994-1013.
• Brunel University London, College of Engineering Design & Physical Science, Heat Pipe & Thermal Management Res Grp, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.