Pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen transport in the United States

Pipeline infrastructure is crucial for regional hydrogen transport. However, existing pipeline models have remarkably underestimated the construction-related material and labor costs compared to U.S. historical data. To cope with this problem and establish sustainable infrastructure, we develop integrated performance, economic and life cycle emissions models to comparatively evaluate dedicated pipelines and repurposed natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport across the country. We find that the levelized cost of hydrogen transport via dedicated pipelines varies with numerous factors, such as location, capacity, and distance; there are similar variabilities in the cost of hydrogen transport via repurposed natural gas pipelines; and although leveraging existing natural gas pipelines can substantially reduce upfront capital expenditures, it may involve tradeoffs in cost and life cycle emissions. Here, we show that the integrated pipeline models and multi-criteria analysis can better guide engineering design, planning, and investment decisions on building nationwide hydrogen transport networks. This study compares new and repurposed gas pipelines for nationwide hydrogen transport, showing how costs and life-cycle emissions vary across options and highlighting trade-offs for infrastructure planning and investment.