Coal-producing regions face a dual challenge: reducing emissions while maintaining economic viability in traditional mining and transportation operations. A new optimization framework addresses this by creating a closed-loop industrial system that integrates coal mining, hydrogen production, transportation, and power generation within a single energy ecosystem.
The research proposes a two-pronged hydrogen production strategy. Power-to-gas technology converts excess renewable electricity into hydrogen through electrolysis, while coal-to-hydrogen uses coal gasification as a supplementary source. This dual approach leverages the abundant resources typical of coal districts—both thermal coal reserves and renewable capacity—without requiring expensive pipeline infrastructure or long-term storage facilities.
The key innovation lies in deploying hydrogen heavy-duty trucks as immediate end-users, consuming produced hydrogen in real time for coal transportation. This eliminates the critical problem of hydrogen pipeline embrittlement, which occurs when hydrogen degrades steel infrastructure over time, while avoiding costly storage requirements that would otherwise constrain hydrogen production rates.
Using second-order cone programming, researchers modeled the integrated energy system across multiple domains: electrical grids, natural gas networks, hydrogen production, and truck operations. Case studies using a 30-bus power system and a 24-node Belgian gas network demonstrated significant economic benefits. Daily operating costs dropped 7.7% compared to conventional systems, while hydrogen trucks proved 0.95% cheaper than electric vehicles and 4.68% less expensive than diesel trucks under China's carbon trading framework. European carbon pricing showed even greater advantages for hydrogen technology.
The work demonstrates that coal regions need not choose between economic viability and emissions reduction. By treating energy systems holistically and matching production technologies to immediate end-use applications, operators can enhance renewable integration, reduce costs, and support the industrial transition toward lower-carbon operations. This framework is particularly relevant for countries balancing energy security with climate commitments.
