Optimisation Models for the Location of Refuelling Stations for Fuel Cell Electric Freight Vehicles in Italy: Preliminary Tests

This paper proposes possible approaches to the optimal location of refuelling stations for hydrogen vehicles. The study originates from a proposal in Italy, within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, to install 40 refuelling stations on the main road network to promote the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles for freight transport. As the number of stations is very limited compared to the extent of the road network, they need to be very well located to intercept flows as much as possible. This paper proposes two models based on identifying road links to place the facility: one maximises the demand served, while the other maximises the number of origin-destination pairs covered. These models were tested with a heuristic algorithm on a test network that schematically reproduces part of the Italian national network.