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Hydrogen power and electric vehicle rollout are among the global mitigation efforts for net-zero emission targets. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) is a promising embodiment of these two climate-neutral levers. Nevertheless, insufficient investigation of the life cycle of hydrogen production pathways and supply-demand mismatching jeopardize the optimal implementation of HFCV. A novel integrated framework combining life cycle greenhouse gas assessment and intra-regional supply-demand optimization method is developed to (1) evaluate the emissions performance for six typical HFCV hydrogen production pathways and (2) map out the optimal intra-regional hydrogen supply-demand allocation based on the trade-off between resource flow and geographical proximity. As one of the world's largest HFCV producers and consumers, China is chosen as the case study. The life cycle emissions assessment reveals that the Natural Gas Steam Methane Reforming (NG_SMR) pathway emits the most greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (i.e., 0.215 g CO 2 -eq/kJ H 2) while the Clean Energy_Water Electrolysis (CE_WE) pathway emits the least GHG emissions (i.e., 0.02 g CO 2 -eq/kJ H 2), stretching a 10-times emission difference. For intra-regional supply-demand optimization, provinces like Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Shandong act as the main suppliers (>50% of the total hydrogen source in China) to provinces like Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Sichuan, suggesting a north-to-south (N-S) regional hydrogen transmission. A sensitivity analysis is conducted based on the variation in production efficiency among different hydrogen production technologies in the HFCV value chain. The results inferred that the Coal Gasification & Carbon Capture and Storage (C l G & CCS) and CE_WE pathways are insensitive to efficiency improvement. In the scenario analysis, the outcome suggested urgently phasing out grey hydrogen pathways and accelerating the transition of grey-to-green hydrogen production pathways with the buffering of blue hydrogen pathways between 2015 and 2040 for the net-zero emission ambition by 2060. This study enlightens the decision-makers to endorse green hydrogen production for HFCV while securing hydrogen energy security. [Display omitted] • Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles accelerate low carbon transition in transportation sector. • Hydrogen resource allocation is one of the challenges developing fuel cell vehicle. • Life cycle assessment and intra-regional supply-chain optimization are coupled. • The integrated framework suggests a north-to-south hydrogen delivery in China. • Blue hydrogen pathway serves as an intermediate between grey-to-green transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• A techno-economic model is developed for hydrogen pipeline networks. • The scale-up effects on capital and operational costs are considered. • Transportation costs in terms of design parameters are compared. • The design parameters are determined for the scenarios with different demands. Pipeline hydrogen transmission is a powerful method for the large-scale, long-distance transport of hydrogen and is pivotal for the rapid expansion of the hydrogen energy sector. In different scenarios of hydrogen transmission demand, the levelized cost of transportation can vary greatly, mainly due to the effects of scaling up the network construction. For hydrogen pipeline networks of different scales, it is essential to determine the right design parameters to ensure the transport is economically viable. This paper introduces a techno-economic analysis model tailored for hydrogen pipeline networks of various scales. Guided by design pressures, annual hydrogen transmission quality, and transmission distances, an engineering design and simulation of process flows were conducted. This simulation highlights crucial technical parameters, such as energy consumption benchmarks, equipment costs, and the distribution across the inlet station, pipeline, and enroute stations. The scale-up effects on the capital and operational costs within the network is also examined. In conclusion, the study shows how the levelized cost of transportation fluctuates based on the three design parameters, offering quantifiable data essential for the techno-economic assessment required for the deployment of hydrogen pipeline networks of varying scales. The findings suggest that the levelized cost of transportation ranges from 0.13 to 1.81 $/kg when the design pressure spans 4–10 MPa, the annual transmission quality is between 0.25 and 2 million tons, and the distance extends from 200 to 1800 km. For shorter distances and reduced hydrogen transmission quality, a diminished design pressure is advised. Conversely, as both the transportation distance and quality of hydrogen escalate, it becomes necessary to incrementally adjust the design pressure to optimize the levelized cost of transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]