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This study focuses on the development of a methodological framework for the design of a five-echelon hydrogen supply chain (HSC) (energy source, production, storage, transportation and fuelling station) considering the geographic level of implementation. The formulation based on mixed integer linear programming involves a multi-criteria approach where three objectives have to be optimised simultaneously, i.e., cost, global warming potential and safety risk. The objective is twofold: first, to test the robustness of the method proposed in De-Leon (2014) from a regional to a national geographic scale and, secondly, to examine the consistency of the results. A new phase of data collection and demand scenarios are performed to be adapted to the French case based on the analysis of roadmaps. In this case study, the ArcGIS ® spatial tool is used to locate the supply chain elements before and after optimisation. The multi-objective optimisation approach by the ɛ-constraint method is applied, analysed and discussed. Finally, a comparison between the results of different geographic scale cases is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work considers the potential future use of hydrogen in fuel cell electrical vehicles to face problems such as global warming, air pollution, energy security and competitiveness. The lack of current infrastructure has been identified as one of the main barriers to develop the hydrogen economy. This work is focused on the design of a hydrogen supply chain through mixed integer linear programming used to find the best solutions for a multi-objective optimization problem in which three objectives are involved, i.e., cost, global warming potential and safety risk. This problem is solved by implementing an ɛ-constraint method. The solution consists of a Pareto front, corresponding to different design strategies in the associated variable space. Multiple choice decision making is then recommended to find the best solution through an M-TOPSIS analysis. The model is applied to the Great Britain case study previously treated in the dedicated literature. Mono and multicriteria optimizations exhibit some differences concerning the degree of centralization of the network and the selection of the production technology type. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]