Multi-criteria decision analysis framework for assessing ports as hydrogen energy hubs

Ports are strategically located within the energy supply chain and can play an important role in the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. There is a lack of literature that assesses the suitability of ports as sites for hydrogen (H 2 ) energy hubs using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework. This work develops a generalised decision-support framework that combines multiple MCDA methods to assess the suitability of ports as H 2 energy hubs for domestic and export activities. Various criteria weights and novel rank aggregation techniques, such as Borda count, dominance matrices, probability, and cumulative distribution functions, are employed to rank 13 major ports on the island of Ireland. The results show that not all ports are suitable for H 2 hubs. The port criteria and the weights assigned to each criterion significantly impact the decision-making process. Ports of Foynes, Cork, and Dublin benefit from significant offshore windfarm potential, port infrastructure (storage space, quay side length, water depth), and H 2 demand, making them ideal locations for both domestic and export H 2 hubs. The limited H 2 demand and port infrastructure capacity at the ports of Drogheda, Killybegs, and Rossaveel make them the least suitable locations for H 2 hubs. Different MCDA methods, their normalisation, optimisation techniques and the extreme values assigned to each criterion resulted in no port performing best across all criteria. Combining multiple MCDA methods, criteria weighting, and rank aggregation techniques reduced bias inherent in a single approach, improved the robustness of the results, and facilitated more informed decision-making. The findings from this study provide insights for policymakers to increase investment in specific ports and utilise local resources around the port efficiently and sustainably.