Abstract: The development of the hydrogen energy industry serves as a crucial pathway for China to achieve energy transformation and fulfill its dual-carbon goals. However, the inherent properties of hydrogen—such as its low density, high leakage risk, and tendency to induce metal embrittlement—pose substantial technical challenges to its efficient and safe storage and transportation. An urgent need exists to develop economically feasible large-scale solutions. This paper systematically reviews the strengths and limitations of existing hydrogen storage and transport technologies and argues that liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology is one of the most promising approaches to addressing large-scale, long-distance hydrogen storage and transport. By establishing a multi-parameter cost analysis model, this study thoroughly investigates how parameters such as transport scale, transport distance, carrier type, and transport methods impact the techno-economic performance of LOHC technology, and further conducts a sensitivity analysis on critical parameters. The economic analysis demonstrates that among the three LOHC systems studied, the DBT/H₁₈-DBT system achieves a levelized cost of hydrogen storage and transport that is 11%～34% lower than that of TOL/MCH and NEC/H₁₂-NEC systems, establishing it as an optimal hydrogen carrier. Additionally, maritime transportation costs for LOHCs are less than one-third of land transport costs, making shipping the more suitable transport mode for organic liquid-based hydrogen. The sensitivity analysis reveals that process energy consumption and fuel costs are the key sensitive factors affecting the economics of LOHC, pointing the way for technological optimization. Comparative analysis further confirms that the DBT/H₁₈-DBT system maintains significant cost competitiveness and excellent cost stability across varying transport scales, offering a viable technological pathway for future commercialization of hydrogen storage and transportation.

Key words: hydrogen storage technologies, hydrogen energy, transportation, LOHC, economic analysis