This study presents a techno-economic analysis of hydrogen transportation via liquid organic hydrogen carriers by road, comparing this option with compressed hydrogen (350 bar) and liquefied hydrogen. The analysis includes the simulation of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactors for the dibenzyltoluene/perhydro-dibenzyltoluene system using ASPEN Plus, along with a cost assessment of compression, liquefaction, and trucking. A sensitivity analysis is also carried out, evaluating hydrogen transport at varying daily demand levels (1, 2, and 4 t/d) and transport distances (50, 150, and 300 km), with varying electricity prices and capital expenditures for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation units. Results indicate that compressed hydrogen is the most cost-effective solution for short distances up to 150 km, with a levelized cost of transported hydrogen ranging from 1.10 to 1.61 EUR/kg. However, LOHC technology becomes more competitive at longer distances, with LCOTH values between 1.49 and 1.90 EUR/kg at 300 km across all demand levels. Liquefied hydrogen remains the least competitive option, reaching costs up to 5.35 EUR/kg, although it requires fewer annual trips due to higher trailer capacity. Notably, at 150 km, LOHC transport becomes more cost-effective than compressed hydrogen when electricity prices exceed 0.22 EUR/kWh or when the capital costs for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation units are minimized. From an environmental perspective, switching from compressed to liquid hydrogen carriers significantly reduces CO₂ emissions—by 56% for LOHCs and 78% for liquid hydrogen—highlighting the potential of these technologies to support the decarbonization of hydrogen logistics.

The relevance of selecting an appropriate bed material in fluidized bed gasification is a crucial aspect that is often underestimated. The ideal material should be economical, resistant to high temperatures and have small chemical interaction with biomass. However, often only the first of such three aspects is considered, neglecting the biomass–bed interaction effects that develop at high temperatures. In this work, olivine and K-feldspar were upscale-tested in a prototype fluidized bed gasifier (FBG) using arboreal biomass (almond shells). The produced syngas in the two different tests was characterized and compared in terms of composition (H₂, CH₄, CO, CO₂, O₂) and fate of contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), tar and metals.. Moreover, the composition of olivine and K-feldspar before and after the biomass gasification process has been characterized. The aim of this work is to show which advantages and disadvantages there are in choosing the most suitable material and to optimize the biomass gasification process by reducing the undesirable effects, such as heavy metal production, bed agglomeration and tar production, which are harmful when syngas is used in internal combustion engines (ICE). It has been observed that metals, such as Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Ba and Pb, have higher concentrations in the syngas produced by using olivine as bed material rather than K-feldspar. In particular, heavy metals, such as Pb, Cu, Cd, Ni and Zn, show concentrations of 61.06 mg/Nm³, 15.29 mg/Nm³, 17.97 mg/Nm³, 37.29 mg/Nm³ and 116.39 mg/Nm³, respectively, compared to 23.26 mg/Nm³, 11.82 mg/Nm³, 2.76 mg/Nm³, 24.46 mg/Nm³ and 53.07 mg/Nm³ detected with K-feldspar. Moreover, a more hydrogen-rich syngas when using K-feldspar was produced (46% compared to 39% with olivine).

This study presents a techno-economic feasibility of hydrogen transportation via liquid organic hydrogen carriers by road, making a comparison with compressed hydrogen (350 bar) and liquefied hydrogen. The analysis includes the simulation of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactors for the dibenzyltoluene/perhydro-dibenzyltoluene system using ASPEN Plus, along with a cost assessment of compression, liquefaction, and trucking. A sensitivity analysis evaluates hydrogen transport at varying daily demand (1 t/d, 2 t/d, and 4 t/d) and transport distances (50, 150, and 300 km). Results indicate that compressed hydrogen is the most cost-effective solution for short distances up to 150 km, with a levelized cost of transported hydrogen ranging from 0.63 to 1.55 €/kg. However, liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology becomes more competitive as transport distance increases, reaching values of 1.37–1.93 €/kg at 300 km for all hydrogen demand levels. Liquefied hydrogen remains the least competitive option, with costs reaching up to 6.48 €/kg, although it requires fewer annual trips by maintaining a fixed annual hydrogen demand.