A Flow-Based Approach for the Optimal Location and Sizing of Hydrogen Refueling Stations Along a Highway Corridor

Micari, Salvatore; Scardino, Antonino Salvatore; Napoli, Giuseppe; Costanzo, Luciano; Belcore, Orlando Marco; Polimeni, Antonio

doi:10.3390/en18195322

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A Flow-Based Approach for the Optimal Location and Sizing of Hydrogen Refueling Stations Along a Highway Corridor

by

Salvatore Micari

^1,*

,

Antonino Salvatore Scardino

¹

,

Giuseppe Napoli

¹

,

Luciano Costanzo

¹

,

Orlando Marco Belcore

²

and

Antonio Polimeni

²

¹

National Research Council of Italy Institute of Advanced Technologies for Energy, 98126 Messina, Italy

²

Department of Engineering, University of Messina, 98158 Messina, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Energies 2025, 18(19), 5322; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18195322

Submission received: 19 August 2025 / Revised: 23 September 2025 / Accepted: 7 October 2025 / Published: 9 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Energy Technologies)

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Abstract

The development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure plays a strategic role in enabling the decarbonization of the transport sector, especially along major freight and passenger corridors such as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Despite the growing interest in hydrogen mobility, existing methodologies for the optimal location of hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) remain fragmented and often overlook operational dynamics. Following a review of the existing literature on HRS location models and approaches, this study highlights key methodological gaps that hinder effective infrastructure planning. In response, a two-stage framework is proposed, combining a flow-based location model with a stochastic queueing approach to determine both the optimal placement of HRS and the number of dispensers required at each site. The method is applied to a real segment of the TEN-T network in Northern Italy. The results demonstrate the flexibility of the model in accommodating different hydrogen vehicle penetration scenarios and its utility as a decision-support tool for public authorities and infrastructure planners.

Keywords: hydrogen refueling stations; flow-based location model; fuel cell electric vehicles; TEN-T corridor; hydrogen mobility planning

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MDPI and ACS Style

Micari, S.; Scardino, A.S.; Napoli, G.; Costanzo, L.; Belcore, O.M.; Polimeni, A. A Flow-Based Approach for the Optimal Location and Sizing of Hydrogen Refueling Stations Along a Highway Corridor. Energies 2025, 18, 5322. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18195322

AMA Style

Micari S, Scardino AS, Napoli G, Costanzo L, Belcore OM, Polimeni A. A Flow-Based Approach for the Optimal Location and Sizing of Hydrogen Refueling Stations Along a Highway Corridor. Energies. 2025; 18(19):5322. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18195322

Chicago/Turabian Style

Micari, Salvatore, Antonino Salvatore Scardino, Giuseppe Napoli, Luciano Costanzo, Orlando Marco Belcore, and Antonio Polimeni. 2025. "A Flow-Based Approach for the Optimal Location and Sizing of Hydrogen Refueling Stations Along a Highway Corridor" Energies 18, no. 19: 5322. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18195322

APA Style

Micari, S., Scardino, A. S., Napoli, G., Costanzo, L., Belcore, O. M., & Polimeni, A. (2025). A Flow-Based Approach for the Optimal Location and Sizing of Hydrogen Refueling Stations Along a Highway Corridor. Energies, 18(19), 5322. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18195322

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A Flow-Based Approach for the Optimal Location and Sizing of Hydrogen Refueling Stations Along a Highway Corridor

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