Motivation

The European Union has a strong interest in importing hydrogen from Kazakhstan. By 2030 alone, it aims to produce 10 million tonnes of hydrogen annually and import an equal amount. Due to its strategic location between Asia and Europe, Kazakhstan could play a key role in the international trade of green hydrogen well beyond that timeframe (Germany Trade & Invest, 2023).

Hydrogen is considered a promising energy carrier for a climate-friendly future. Especially in the transport sector and particularly in industrial applications and freight transport, it can help reduce CO₂ emissions (Najjar, 2013). However, in order for green hydrogen to make an effective contribution to decarbonization, it must be transported reliably, efficiently, and safely from the place of production to the place of consumption often over long distances and using various modes of transport.

Transporting hydrogen poses specific technical and logistical challenges. Depending on its physical state (gaseous, liquid, or chemically bound), different safety precautions, container systems, and infrastructure are required. Moreover, the requirements vary significantly depending on the chosen mode of transport (road, rail, inland waterway, pipeline). Despite its growing importance, there is still a lack of a structured, scientifically grounded overview of these requirements in intermodal freight transport.

Objective

The aim of this thesis is to identify and structure the technical, safety-related, legal, and logistical requirements for the transport of green hydrogen in freight transport by means of a systematic literature review, with a particular focus on the transport corridor between Kazakhstan and Europe. The study will highlight both the differences between transport modes and the cross-cutting requirements. The result will be a catalogue of requirements that can serve as a foundation for future research and infrastructure decisions.

Possible Research Questions:

• What are the current technical, legal, and logistical requirements for the transport of green hydrogen in freight logistics between Kazakhstan and Europe?
• How do these requirements differ depending on the physical state (e.g., gaseous, liquid, LOHC) and the transport mode (road, rail, inland waterway, pipeline)?
• What overarching legal and regulatory frameworks influence hydrogen transport at the national and international levels?

Literature

• Germany Trade & Invest (2023). Kasachstan will globaler Akteur der Wasserstoffwirtschaft werden. https://www.gtai.de/de/trade/kasachstan/specials/kasachstan-will-globaler-akteur-der-wasserstoffwirtschaft-werden-1013168
• Ferreira, H., Pereira, J., Pinto, T., Marques, M., Pinto, R., Gonçalves, F., & Santos, J. (2023). Green Hydrogen Production in Portugal: Current Status and Future Perspectives. Energies, 16(1), 551. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16010551
• Schmidt, P., Weindorf, W., & Roth, A. (2023). Process Engineering Analysis of Transport Options for Green Hydrogen and Derivatives to Germany. Energy Technology, 11(3), 2301526. https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.202301526

General Conditions

If you are interested in writing this thesis, please send your transcript of records to an Samira Ghaneian. In a meeting, the modalities and focus of the work can be discussed according to personal preferences. You can start your work from 10.06.2025.