UW Study Reveals Key Insights for Building Nationwide Hydrogen Pipeline Infrastructure

A new University of Wyoming study, published in the journal Nature Communications, offers a comprehensive evaluation of the performance, economic and environmental trade-offs required to build nationwide hydrogen pipeline networks.

The study, titled "Pipeline Infrastructure for Hydrogen Transport in the United States," was led by Haibo Zhai, the Roy and Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering, a Wyoming Excellence Chair, and a professor in the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

Ayush Singh, a postdoctoral research fellow in Zhai's research group, was the paper's lead author. Other co-authors include Eugene Holubnyak, director of the Hydrogen Energy Research Center in the UW School of Energy Resources (SER), and Curtis Biggs, UW-E4 director in UW's Office of Industry and Strategic Partnerships.

The research addresses a key deficiency in existing infrastructure models, which have significantly underestimated construction-related material and labor costs when compared with historical U.S. data. To address this discrepancy, the research team developed integrated performance, economic and life-cycle emissions models to analyze both dedicated, new pipelines and repurposed natural gas pipelines.

"As the United States accelerates efforts to expand its clean energy endeavors, establishing a reliable and cost-effective hydrogen transport network remains a critical hurdle," Zhai says. "By integrating real historical data with life-cycle emissions and engineering performance, our framework gives decision-makers a clearer, multidimensional view of what it will actually take to build dedicated or repurposed transport networks."

The authors found that the levelized cost of transporting hydrogen through dedicated pipelines varies widely based on location, capacity and distance, with similar variations seen in repurposed natural gas systems. Although leveraging existing natural gas infrastructure can substantially lower up-front capital expenditures, the authors noted it may involve complex trade-offs regarding long-term costs and life-cycle emissions.

"Understanding cost and emissions trade-offs is essential as Wyoming builds out its hydrogen economy," Holubnyak says. "These integrated models give us the data needed to guide investment and reduce project risk."

The authors concluded that integrated pipeline models and multi-criteria analysis provide a more accurate framework to guide engineering design, strategic planning and investment decisions for building nationwide hydrogen transport infrastructure. The pipeline models have been incorporated into Integrated Environmental Control Model Version 14, a computer-based tool for energy systems modeling and analysis. To support research, education and workforce development in the energy domain, Zhai's research group plans to release the newly upgraded tool to the public soon.

The research was supported by the Wyoming Innovation Partnership initiative and SER as part of the Hydrogen Phase II initiative to advance hydrogen production and transportation in Wyoming.

"This study is a good example of how the Hydrogen Energy Research Center and our partners across campus turn state investment through the Hydrogen Phase II initiative into practical tools for industry and decision-makers," Holubnyak says.

To read the full article, visit www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78402-2.