Revealing design archetypes and flexibility in e-molecule import pathways using Modeling to Generate Alternatives and interpretable machine learning

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Kchaou, Mahdi, Contino, Francesco, Coppitters, Diederik
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Kchaou, Mahdi
Contino, Francesco
Coppitters, Diederik
author_facet Kchaou, Mahdi
Contino, Francesco
Coppitters, Diederik
contents Given the central role of green e-molecule imports in the European energy transition, many studies optimize import pathways and identify a single cost-optimal solution. However, cost optimality is fragile, as real-world implementation depends on regulatory, spatial, and stakeholder constraints that are difficult to represent in optimization models and can render cost-optimal designs infeasible. To address this limitation, we generate a diverse set of near-cost-optimal alternatives within an acceptable cost margin using Modeling to Generate Alternatives, accounting for unmodeled uncertainties. Interpretable machine learning is then applied to extract insights from the resulting solution space. The approach is applied to hydrogen import pathways considering hydrogen, ammonia, methane, and methanol as carriers. Results reveal a broad near-optimal space with great flexibility: solar, wind, and storage are not strictly required to remain within 10% of the cost optimum. Wind constraints favor solar-storage methanol pathways, while limited storage favors wind-based ammonia or methane pathways.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_23284
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Revealing design archetypes and flexibility in e-molecule import pathways using Modeling to Generate Alternatives and interpretable machine learning
Kchaou, Mahdi
Contino, Francesco
Coppitters, Diederik
Systems and Control
Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
Given the central role of green e-molecule imports in the European energy transition, many studies optimize import pathways and identify a single cost-optimal solution. However, cost optimality is fragile, as real-world implementation depends on regulatory, spatial, and stakeholder constraints that are difficult to represent in optimization models and can render cost-optimal designs infeasible. To address this limitation, we generate a diverse set of near-cost-optimal alternatives within an acceptable cost margin using Modeling to Generate Alternatives, accounting for unmodeled uncertainties. Interpretable machine learning is then applied to extract insights from the resulting solution space. The approach is applied to hydrogen import pathways considering hydrogen, ammonia, methane, and methanol as carriers. Results reveal a broad near-optimal space with great flexibility: solar, wind, and storage are not strictly required to remain within 10% of the cost optimum. Wind constraints favor solar-storage methanol pathways, while limited storage favors wind-based ammonia or methane pathways.
title Revealing design archetypes and flexibility in e-molecule import pathways using Modeling to Generate Alternatives and interpretable machine learning
topic Systems and Control
Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.23284