Decentralized Use Case Integration of Chemical Hydrogen Carriers: The Cost Saving Potential in Domestic Supply Chains

The use of chemical hydrogen carriers such as ammonia (NH3), methanol (MeOH), dimethyl ether (DME), and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) is considered as a potential option for hydrogen imports. Following import, the carriers are either converted centrally into hydrogen or transported further to the point of use. This study evaluates various domestic transport options – truck, rail, inland waterway, and pipeline – as unimodal or intermodal transport for hydrogen and chemical hydrogen carriers. Based on this, the potential of transport and decentralized integration of carriers for various locations is assessed. A cost comparison is used to determine the maximum specific costs that a decentralized conversion plant can incur while remaining competitive with a centralized conversion plant in the port. The analysis shows that the specific costs of decentralized conversion plants at numerous locations can be significantly higher than those of centralized plants, indicating considerable cost-saving potential.