Multi-criteria decision analysis for hydrogen hub location: Key factors in renewable energy value chains.

Green hydrogen and its derivatives play a crucial role in the transition to decarbonized energy systems, with ports emerging as key enablers of hydrogen production and distribution. Leveraging their existing infrastructure and strategic position at the intersection of shipping and energy sectors, ports have the potential to function as hydrogen hubs. However, the specific conditions and mechanisms through which they contribute to the clean energy transition remain understudied. In this study, we investigate ports’ roles within the hydrogen value chain through thematic analysis and stakeholder interviews. We develop a conceptual framework outlining the functions ports can assume in the hydrogen value chain and identify key stakeholders and criteria relevant to hydrogen hub site selection. Building on these insights, we propose a multi-actor, multi-criteria decision-making model that captures diverse stakeholder perspectives. Our findings reveal that ports can serve four distinct roles in the hydrogen value chain: industrial hubs, value-added logistics centers, transport nodes, and bunkering stations. Each of these roles presents unique strategic and operational challenges, which in turn influence the criteria for site selection and the stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. Our research contributes to port development and hydrogen hub planning by identifying critical factors for establishing green hydrogen hubs. We provide strategic guidance for planning and policy development, highlighting the need to balance public and commercial interests through joint decision-making between public and private actors.

Lara Pomaska joined the Kühne Logistics University (KLU) as a PhD candidate under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Gordon Wilmsmeier and Prof.Dr. Johannes Meuer. Her research focuses on the decarbonization of the maritime industry. Before joining the PhD program, she worked as a research fellow at the Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL) at KLU, where she was involved in the Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) project.
Lara received her M.Sc. in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management from KLU in 2020. In her thesis, she built a capital budgeting model to assess the economic feasibility of the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in shipping. In 2018, Lara completed her B.A. in Business Administration with a specialization in supply chain management and logistics at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences. During her studies, she spent semesters abroad in Carlow, Ireland at the Institute of Technology and in Gothenburg, Sweden at Chalmers University of Technology. In addition to her studies, Lara worked at Hapag-Lloyd and gained multiple practical experiences in the field of logistics and supply chain management during internships in the shipping and automotive industry.