Mitigating transportation disruptions in the Australian household hydrogen supply chain

Abstract

Despite growing interest in hydrogen as a clean energy source, limited research has explored the long-term operational challenges facing Australia’s household hydrogen supply chain (HHSC), particularly under transportation disruptions. This study investigates transportation disruptions in vehicles and routes within the Australian HHSC planned over the period 2026 to 2090. It focuses on disruptions across three distribution tiers: national distribution centers (NDCs), regional distribution centers (RDCs), and local distribution centers (LDCs). A multi-period network optimisation model is developed using scenario-based analysis to simulate and evaluate the impacts of various disruptive events over time. Mitigation strategies, including rerouting, additional vehicle hiring, and safety stock positioning at RDCs, are assessed for their effectiveness. The results reveal that combined disruptions, affecting both vehicles and routes, have the most severe impact on the HHSC, particularly when multiple routes and vehicles across NDCs, RDCs, and LDCs are simultaneously affected. While individual disruptions, such as those impacting only routes or only vehicles, also influence performance, their effects are comparatively less critical than the impact of combined disruptions. Mitigation strategies targeting routes, vehicles, and combined disruptions lead to higher demand fulfilment and lower penalty costs, resulting in a significant increase in overall profit. These outcomes are achieved despite the added costs associated with rerouting, additional vehicle hiring, and maintaining safety stock. The findings highlight the importance of targeted, disruption-specific planning to improve demand fulfilment and reduce penalty costs and provide practical implications for managing transportation disruptions in the HHSC.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

hydrogen supply chain / transportation disruptions / vehicle disruptions / route disruptions / disruption mitigation

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