(44a) Navigating Hydrogen Storage in Saudi Arabia: A Fahp-Based Multi-Criteria Framework for Uncertainty, Safety, and Sustainability

As the global energy landscape moves towards sustainable solutions, hydrogen is emerging as a vital energy carrier that can reduce reliance on carbon-heavy fuels. For Saudi Arabia—a country where energy exports are critical to the economy—establishing a hydrogen economy aligns well with Vision 2030's objectives to diversify the energy mix and reduce fossil fuel dependency. This study presents a robust multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework to evaluate hydrogen storage technologies that are suitable for Saudi Arabia’s unique geographical, industrial, and climatic environment. By integrating Interval-Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy Sets (IVPFS) with two established decision-making methods—the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)—the framework assesses five prominent hydrogen storage technologies: compressed hydrogen gas, liquefied hydrogen, cryo-compressed hydrogen, underground hydrogen storage, and chemical storage.

The evaluation considers thirteen criteria across four key dimensions: technological, economic, social, and safety—ensuring a comprehensive analysis that captures diverse stakeholder priorities. The results reveal that underground storage stands out as the most feasible large-scale option for Saudi Arabia, thanks to its compatibility with the country’s geological resources, such as salt caverns and depleted oil and gas reservoirs, as well as its cost-efficiency and high storage capacity. Compressed and liquefied hydrogen storage options also hold potential but face significant challenges given the extreme temperatures in Saudi Arabia, requiring substantial pressure and cooling. Meanwhile, chemical storage offers safety benefits but is limited by its high costs. The proposed framework offers decision-makers an effective tool for systematically evaluating hydrogen storage solutions, thereby supporting Saudi Arabia’s transition to a sustainable, hydrogen-driven energy future.