  Hydrogen is produced from water using renewable electricity. Unlike
electricity, hydrogen can be stored in large quantities for long periods. This
storage ability acts as a green battery, allowing solar and wind energy to be
generated and used at different times. As a result, green hydrogen plays a
central role in facilitating a climate-neutral economy. However, the logistics
for hydrogen are complex. As new hydrogen pipelines are developed for hydrogen,
there is a trend toward repurposing the natural gas network for hydrogen, due
to its economic and environmental benefits. Yet, a rapid conversion could
disrupt the balance of natural gas supply and demand. Furthermore, technical
and economic developments surrounding the transition contribute additional
complexity, which introduces uncertainty in future supply and demand levels for
both commodities. To address these challenges, we introduce a multi-period
stochastic network design problem for the transition of a natural gas pipeline
network into a green hydrogen pipeline network. We develop a progressive
hedging based matheuristic to solve the problem. Results demonstrate our
matheuristic is efficient, both in computation time and in solution quality. We
show that factoring in uncertainty avoids premature expansion and ensures the
development of an adequate pipeline network meeting long-term needs. In a case
study in the Northern Netherlands for Hydrogen Energy Applications in Valley
Environments for Northern Netherlands initiative, we focus on two key
scenarios: local production and importation, exploring their impacts on
performance indicators. Our case insights exemplify the solid foundation for
strategic decision-making in energy transitions through our approach.
