Integrated hydrogen supply chain optimization: A MIP approach for renewable energy transition

Renewable energy has become increasingly important due to its ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, reduce reliance on imported energy, and increase employment through domestic resources. Developing an efficient supply chain system is one of the most effective ways to support the widespread adoption of renewable energy. In this context, hydrogen, as a clean and versatile energy carrier, is attracting attention, while its storage and distribution present critical challenges. Studies on hydrogen supply chains have largely focused on individual aspects such as production, capacity, or distribution, rather than adopting a comprehensive approach. This research aims to design an integrated hydrogen supply chain framework that integrates these components, highlights intrinsic trade-offs, and determines the optimal number of facilities from each energy source to minimize total costs. The proposed network is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming (MIP) model, and T & uuml;rkiye is used as a case study. The results showed that the capacity would largely be met by 2025, centered in TR10 and TR21, with subsequent increases primarily driven by solar and geothermal investments. Overall, solar energy and rail transport played a dominant role, while wind energy remained quite limited due to its high cost.