Researchers at the MIT Energy Initiative have released an open source tool called HyCAT that calculates the cost and greenhouse gas emissions of transporting hydrogen over long distances. The tool compares different methods for converting hydrogen gas into a liquid or chemical carrier for shipping, including liquefaction, ammonia, synthetic methane, and toluene based carriers. Users can input local energy prices and carbon intensity to see which option works best for their specific supply chain. The study, published in the journal Fuel, found that the best transport method depends heavily on distance, energy costs, and infrastructure at both ends. For example, ammonia looks promising because the infrastructure already exists, but the release step still needs more development. The tool is designed to be updated as the industry scales and more real world data becomes available. This matters because hydrogen transport can add significant cost and emissions to the final delivered fuel, and choosing the wrong method could undermine the climate benefits.
