HYDROGEN MOBILITY FOR QATAR: A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO COST, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS

Abstract

Transport is one of the largest CO2-emitting sectors in the world, out of which over two-thirds are linked to road transport. A fact that is even more notable for countries and regions like Qatar and the GCC, where cars account for approximately two-thirds of the modal split. Hence, transitioning to sustainable transportation is imperative to reduce the environmental footprint of this sector. To address this, Qatar has introduced electrified transport and established electric vehicle goals. However, the dependency on natural gas-based power plants decreases the benefits of this approach. For this reason, the present thesis assesses the potential of deploying hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) as an alternative to hydrocarbon-based vehicles and as a complement to battery electric vehicles and buses. Initially, the study explores various alternative-fueled vehicles and their deployment throughout the GCC. Moreover, literature insights are used to rank eight forms of alternative vehicles, observing that HFCVs outrank the other options, while hybrid and battery electric vehicles are the most widely accepted. Following this, environmental and economic aspects are combined in a life cycle cost (LCC) analysis, comparing conventional, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell cars and buses. The outcome shows that, initially, HFCVs present the highest LCC value; however, over time, they gain parity with the other technologies, with the purchase cost being the most influential element. Additionally, the optimum policy instrument mix within a Qatar context is determined. The attained results reflect that to eliminate the HFCVs-ICEVs gap, a 60% fuel subsidy combined with a 20% purchase incentive is required, while to bridge the HFCV-BEV gap, only a 17.93% purchase incentive is necessary. Since refueling infrastructure is a key aspect, a maximum coverage location model (MCLM) is developed, from which it is determined that to support a demand equivalent to 10% of Qatar’s car and bus fleets, 96 and 49 refueling locations are required while using 600 and 1,200 kg H2/day stations, respectively; while a total of 46,170 kgH2/day is needed to meet the bus demand. From an economic perspective, a maximum of 235.35 MUS$ is required to develop the necessary infrastructure. Ultimately, expert elicitation suggests that HFCVs and buses can play a significant role in decarbonizing the transport sector; however, policy instruments and indirect benefits must be applied, while infrastructure development can be gradually increased based on a projected adoption curve.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Science and Engineering