Techno-economic analysis of hydrogen transport: comparison between tube trailer and pipeline

Hydrogen logistics is a key enabler in the energy transition. This study presents a disaggregated, reproducible, and quantitative framework for the techno-economic analysis of hydrogen transport via tube trailers and pipelines, covering a broad range of delivery capacities (0.5–10,000 t/day) and distances (10–1,000 km). The model explicitly separates capital and operating costs for each subsystem, enabling transparent identification of the main cost drivers and robust comparison between technologies. Results show that tube trailer transport is dominated by vessel costs and is economically viable only for short-to-medium distances (up to 250–350 km) and low-to-moderate demands; notably, for demands above 5–10 t/day, road transport costs tend to stabilize. In contrast, pipeline transport is characterized by high initial capital expenditure at low capacities, with compression operating costs becoming dominant at high capacities (>500 t/day). Strong economies of scale allow pipelines to maintain costs below 2 €/kg for demands above 200 t/day across all distances considered. Comparative cost maps generated by the model clearly delineate the optimal operational regimes and transition zones for each technology. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that material cost most strongly affects tube trailer economics, while labor and electricity cost are most influential for pipelines, particularly at high capacities. The reproducibility and transparency of the framework ensure that the techno-economic boundaries between transport modes are robust to plausible cost fluctuations. These findings provide actionable insights for infrastructure planners and policymakers, supporting the efficient and cost-effective integration of hydrogen into future energy systems.