Economic analysis of compressed gaseous hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, and cryo-compressed hydrogen storage methods for large-scale storage and transportation

The inherently low density of hydrogen severely limits its efficiency in storage and transportation, thus constraining its large-scale application. In response, high-density hydrogen storage and transport technologies—such as compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH 2 ), liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ), and cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH 2 )—have emerged as viable solutions. Despite the increasing technical maturity of these methods, there remains a lack of systematic techno-economic analyses comparing CGH 2 , LH 2 , and the emerging CcH 2 across varying transport distances and operational conditions. This study presents a comprehensive economic analysis of these large-scale physical hydrogen storage technologies to clarify their application scenarios. The analysis reveals distinct preferences in terms of economics and operations: CGH 2 storage is optimal for short-distance transport (≤50 km) owing to its low infrastructure costs; LH 2 storage demonstrates advantages for long-distance, large-scale transport (≥700 km) due to its high energy density, though challenges persist with its high liquefaction energy demand and significant initial capital investment; CcH 2 storage serves as a transitional solution for medium-to-long distances (200–1100 km), balancing the trade-offs of CGH 2 and LH 2 and offering unique cost-effectiveness in specific operational contexts. This work underscores the scenario-dependent feasibility of each method, providing critical insights for hydrogen infrastructure planning. • Techno-economic analysis of three large-scale physical hydrogen storage methods. •Compressed gaseous hydrogen is suitable for short-distance use with high electricity prices. •Liquid hydrogen is economical for long-distance transport with low electricity costs. •Cryo-compressed hydrogen offers balanced cost and flexibility across diverse use cases. •Results offer cost-based guidance for selecting hydrogen delivery methods.