Determination of Cause-Effect Relation Among Success Factors of Small-Scale Hydrogen Valley Site Selection for Smart City Energy Security

Abstract

Hydrogen energy has risen interest internationally as a clean energy source. Owing to its high energy efficiency, sustain ability, and low environmental impact characteristics, compared to other alternative energy resources. A hydrogen valley is a complex facility, encompassing the entire hydrogen value chain, where hydrogen production, transportation, distribution, and storage functions are integrated. This paper aims to identify the success factors for establishing a small-scale hydrogen valley in Turkiye and to analyze the interdependencies between these factors using fuzzy DEMATEL method. As the evaluation of the success factors involves expert opinion, the inherent uncertainty in expert judgments and the difficulty in representing the expert knowledge with crisp numerical values, fuzzy logic is applied. After the influence the success factors have on each other is revealed, a network showcasing all the relations between these factors is constructed. Based on the results, population density emerged as the most influential success factor for the small-scale hydrogen valley site selection based on the expert evaluations from Turkiye ecosystem for the smart city energy security concept. By identifying and analyzing these success factors, this study aims to not only contribute to the growing body of knowledge on hydrogen energy but also provides practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in the establishment of hydrogen valleys. The methodology and findings could serve as a valuable reference for future projects aiming to implement similar initiatives in other regions, thereby advancing the global transition towards sustainable energy systems.