Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device that optimizes the hydrogen supply chain to utilize hydrogen as a next-generation energy resource. The system includes a production and sales plan acquisition unit 61 that acquires a hydrogen production and sales plan, a transportation plan acquisition unit 62 that acquires a hydrogen transportation plan, a utilization plan acquisition unit 63 that acquires a hydrogen utilization plan, a demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 that acquires a hydrogen demand procurement plan, a constraint condition acquisition unit 65 that acquires constraint conditions, a transaction information acquisition unit 66 that acquires transaction information, and an optimization unit 52. The optimization unit 52 optimizes the entire hydrogen supply plan based on the acquired various plans, constraint conditions, and transaction information so as to maximize the profitability of each of the hydrogen production, transportation, sales, and utilization processes.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Hydrogen is expected to be widely adopted as a clean energy source. To widely popularize and utilize hydrogen as a clean energy source, establishing hydrogen storage facility technology and infrastructure development are key issues. Conventionally, in coal-fired power generation, there is a system in place that comprehensively considers the purchase of coal for power generation, the cost per calorific value of the coal, transportation costs, and waste treatment costs, and selects the coal that minimizes the coal purchase cost per unit of power generation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4738186 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional technology is limited to procuring coal, and does not address the issue of a hydrogen supply chain for utilizing hydrogen as an energy source. While there is a demand for a solution to this issue, conventional technologies, including the technology of Patent Document 1, are unable to fully meet this demand.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an information processing device that optimizes hydrogen supply chain management and hydrogen trading in order to utilize hydrogen as a next-generation energy resource. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: an acquisition means for acquiring from an information acquisition source all or any of a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen, a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying hydrogen to meet demand and procuring the required amount, a hydrogen production and sales plan for producing and selling hydrogen, a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting hydrogen, and constraints and trading information for trading hydrogen; an optimization means for optimizing the hydrogen supply chain plan based on all or any of the acquired hydrogen utilization plan, hydrogen demand procurement plan, hydrogen production and sales plan, hydrogen transportation plan, constraints, and transaction information so as to maximize the profitability of each process from which the information is acquired; Equipped with.

[0007] Each of the information processing devices according to an aspect of the present invention is also an information processing method and a program according to an aspect of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device that optimizes the management of a hydrogen supply chain and hydrogen trading in order to utilize hydrogen as a next-generation energy resource. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a service that can be realized by an information processing system to which a server according to an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system to which a server according to an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention is applied. [Figure 3] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the server of FIG. 3 that constitutes the information processing system of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 5 is an example of a flowchart showing the operation of the server shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the functional configuration of a server of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of a server having the functional configuration of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, referring to Figure 1, we will explain an overview of a service (hereinafter referred to as "this service") that can be realized by an information processing system (see Figure 2 described later) to which a server according to one embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention is applied.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the present service that can be realized by an information processing system to which a server according to an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention is applied.

[0012] This service provides a requester with a hydrogen trading plan that optimizes hydrogen supply chain management and hydrogen trading using the server 1 in order to utilize hydrogen as a next-generation energy resource.

[0013] Specifically, for example, FIG. 1 shows a hydrogen supply chain operation optimization system (hereinafter referred to as the "system") as an example of an information processing system. This system can optimize the management of the hydrogen supply chain and the entire hydrogen trade process to maximize profitability at each stage based on hydrogen utilization plans, hydrogen demand procurement plans, hydrogen production and sales plans, hydrogen transportation plans, and trading conditions (e.g., constraints on hydrogen trading and market trading prices).

[0014] Server 1 is located at the center of this system, and exchanges information with hydrogen production facilities 2, hydrogen transport facilities 3, hydrogen storage facilities 4, hydrogen supply facilities 5, hydrogen utilization facilities 6, and the hydrogen trading market H. Server 1 has the function of acquiring plan information from each facility and notifying each facility of the optimized plan.

[0015] Hydrogen production facility 2 produces green hydrogen using renewable energy and blue hydrogen using a CCUS (Carbon dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage) facility. Hydrogen production facility 2 provides a production and sales plan to server 1 and receives from server 1 an optimization plan that considers, for example, when, by what method, and how much hydrogen to produce in consideration of the entire hydrogen supply chain and / or how the hydrogen production company can enjoy the most benefits (including, but not limited to, perspectives such as improving profitability, improving productivity, and reducing yields).

[0016] At the hydrogen transport facility 3, hydrogen is transported by liquefied hydrogen ships or the like. Transport methods such as methylcyclohexane (MCH) and ammonia are also used. The hydrogen transport facility 3 provides a transport plan to the server 1, and receives an optimization plan from the server 1 that considers, for example, when, by which means of transport, from where to where, and how much hydrogen to transport in consideration of the entire hydrogen supply chain and / or which hydrogen transport operator can benefit most from (including, but not limited to, perspectives such as improving profitability, improving transport efficiency, and reducing transport losses).

[0017] At the hydrogen storage facility 4, hydrogen is temporarily stored in storage devices such as tanks. Information about the storage of hydrogen at this hydrogen storage facility 4 is provided to the server 1. The provided hydrogen storage information may be hydrogen storage information at one specific location, or may be information about multiple locations.

[0018] The hydrogen supply facility 5 utilizes pipelines and the like to supply hydrogen to factories, power plants, and other demand facilities. The hydrogen supply facility 5 provides the demand procurement plan to the server 1, and also receives an optimization plan from the server 1 that considers, for example, when, from which supplier, and how much hydrogen to procure in consideration of the entire hydrogen supply chain, and / or how the hydrogen supply business operator can enjoy the most benefit (including, but not limited to, perspectives such as improving profitability and reducing yields).

[0019] At the hydrogen utilization facility 6, hydrogen power is generated at a hydrogen power plant (including hydrogen co-firing power generation) or supplied to a hydrogen station for use in hydrogen vehicles. The hydrogen utilization facility 6 provides the server 1 with a utilization plan that indicates, for example, when, where, for what purpose, and how much hydrogen is expected to be used, and receives an optimization plan from the server 1 that considers how the hydrogen user can receive the most benefit (including, but not limited to, reducing the price of hydrogen usage) in light of the entire hydrogen supply chain, including any changes or modifications to the utilization plan.

[0020] The server 1 formulates an optimization plan taking into consideration constraints such as weather and the operating status of hydrogen transport means (for example, the operating status of hydrogen transport ships).The server 1 also cooperates with the hydrogen trading market H to obtain transactions (such as the latest trading price information, bidding information, and other information that may affect transactions) and conducts transactions.

[0021] As shown at the bottom of Figure 1, this system maximizes the profitability of each process and improves the efficiency of the entire supply chain through overall supply chain optimization (S1). This service allows for real-time understanding of the volume of goods handled at each stage of the process, as well as supply chain management such as optimizing and streamlining distribution.

[0022] Specifically, the hydrogen utilization facility 6 predicts hydrogen demand, creates a hydrogen utilization plan, and provides it to the hydrogen supply facility 5. Based on the received hydrogen utilization plan, the hydrogen supply facility 5 creates (optimizes) the amount of hydrogen to be purchased, the timing of purchase, frequency of purchase, etc. as a hydrogen demand procurement plan, and provides it to the hydrogen transport facility 3. The hydrogen production facility 2 creates a hydrogen production and sales plan, and provides it to the hydrogen transport facility 3. Based on the received hydrogen demand procurement plan and production and sales plan, the hydrogen transport facility 3 selects the optimal hydrogen transportation route, frequency, transportation means, etc., and creates a hydrogen transportation plan.

[0023] The server 1 can support the creation of these hydrogen production and sales plans and demand procurement plans for each specific supply chain, compile them, and support the formulation of optimal plans. It can also design and operate a hydrogen trading market based on the production and sales plans and demand procurement plans.

[0024] In this way, it will be possible to optimize the hydrogen supply chain for utilizing hydrogen as a next-generation energy resource, and to utilize hydrogen cheaply and stably. Although not shown in Figure 1, this service may also be configured to design and operate a hydrogen trading market based on a production and sales plan and a demand procurement plan. Note that in the hydrogen trading market, entities that do not actually own hydrogen can trade using spot prices and futures prices, so in this service, the server handles hydrogen trading. This will enable the development, operation and publication of indices to promote and support trading at spot and futures prices.

[0025] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a description will be given of the configuration of an information processing system that realizes the provision of the above-described service, that is, an information processing system to which a server according to an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system to which a server according to an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention is applied.

[0026] The information processing system shown in Figure 2 is configured to include a server 1, a hydrogen production facility terminal 2a installed at a hydrogen production facility 2 (see Figure 1), a hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a installed at a hydrogen transport facility 3, a hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a installed at a hydrogen storage facility 4, a hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a installed at a hydrogen supply facility 5, a hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a installed at a hydrogen utilization facility 6, and a renewable energy power plant terminal 7a installed at a renewable energy power plant 7. The server 1, hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, hydrogen transportation facility terminal 3a, hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, and renewable energy power plant terminal 7a are connected to each other via a network NW such as the Internet.

[0027] The server 1 is an information processing device managed by the service provider of this service (Fig. 1). The server 1 executes various processes to realize this service while appropriately communicating with the hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, hydrogen transportation facility terminal 3a, hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, and renewable energy power plant terminal 7a. The hydrogen production facility 2 is a facility that produces hydrogen. Within the facility, a hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, is installed as an information processing device that communicates with the server 1 and exchanges information. The hydrogen production facility terminal 2a is operated by a hydrogen production business operator. The hydrogen transport facility 3 is a facility for transporting hydrogen. Within the facility, a hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, is installed as an information processing device that communicates with the server 1 and exchanges information. The hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a is operated by a hydrogen transport business operator. The hydrogen storage facility 4 is a facility for storing hydrogen. Within the facility, a hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, is installed as an information processing device that communicates with the server 1 and exchanges information. The hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a is operated by a hydrogen storage business operator. The hydrogen supply facility 5 is a facility that supplies hydrogen. Within the facility, a hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, is installed as an information processing device that communicates with the server 1 and exchanges information. The hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a is operated by a hydrogen supply business operator. The hydrogen utilization facility 6 is a facility that utilizes hydrogen. Within the facility, a hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, is installed as an information processing device that communicates with the server 1 and exchanges information. The hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a is operated by a hydrogen utilization business operator. The renewable energy power plant 7 is a facility that generates renewable energy. Within the facility, a renewable energy power plant terminal 7a, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, is installed as an information processing device that communicates with the server 1 and exchanges information. The renewable energy power plant terminal 7a is operated by a renewable energy power generation business operator.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system shown in FIG.

[0029] The server 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an input unit 16, an output unit 17, a memory unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0030] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 12 or a program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13 . The RAM 13 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes.

[0031] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are connected to one another via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An input unit 16, an output unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0032] The input unit 16 is configured with, for example, a keyboard and is used to input various information. The output unit 17 is configured with a display such as a liquid crystal display, a speaker, etc., and outputs various information as images and sounds. The storage unit 18 is configured with a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or the like, and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices (e.g., the hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, hydrogen transportation facility terminal 3a, hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, and renewable energy power plant terminal 7a in Figure 2) via a network NW including the Internet via each information processing device.

[0033] Removable media 21, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately loaded into the drive 20. A program read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 is installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. Furthermore, the removable medium 21 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 18 in the same manner as the storage unit 18.

[0034] Although not shown, the hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a, hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, and renewable energy power plant terminal 7a in Fig. 2 can also have basically the same hardware configuration as that shown in Fig. 3. Therefore, a description of the hardware configuration of the hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a, hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, and renewable energy power plant terminal 7a will be omitted.

[0035] The various hardware and software components constituting the information processing system of FIG. 2, including the server 1 of FIG. 3, work together to execute various processes for providing the present service of FIG.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server of FIG. 3 in the information processing system of FIG.

[0037] 4, an acquisition unit 51, an optimization unit 52, a trading unit 53, a display control unit 54, a notification unit 55, and a setting unit 56 function in the CPU 11 of the server 1. However, this is just an example, and does not preclude a configuration in which, for example, the trading unit 53 is not included.

[0038] In addition, one area of ​​the memory unit 18 of the server 1 is provided with a manufacturing and sales plan DB 81, a transportation plan DB 82, a utilization plan DB 83, a demand procurement plan DB 84, a constraint condition DB 85, ​​a transaction information DB 86, and a user information DB 87.

[0039] The acquisition unit 51 acquires from information sources a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen, a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying hydrogen to meet demand and procuring the required amount, a hydrogen production and sales plan for producing and selling the hydrogen, a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting the hydrogen, and constraints and trading information for trading the hydrogen. The acquisition unit 51 includes a manufacturing and sales plan acquisition unit 61 , a transportation plan acquisition unit 62 , a utilization plan acquisition unit 63 , a demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 , a constraint condition acquisition unit 65 , and a transaction information acquisition unit 66 . The production and sales plan acquisition unit 61 acquires hydrogen production and sales plans from one or more hydrogen production facilities. The production and sales plan acquisition unit 61 acquires production plans including the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen production facility can produce and sell in a specified period, and stores the plans in the production and sales plan DB 81. The acquired hydrogen production and sales plans may include information on hydrogen production methods, as well as information such as the period, cost, efficiency, yield, and scale of the facility itself required for each method.

[0040] The transportation plan acquisition unit 62 acquires a hydrogen transportation plan from a hydrogen transportation facility. The transportation plan acquisition unit 62 acquires transportation information including the transportation capacity that can be provided by the hydrogen transportation facility for a certain period including a predetermined period, and stores the information in the transportation plan DB 82. The acquired hydrogen transportation plan may include information on the hydrogen transportation method, the period required for transportation for each transportation method, costs, efficiency, transportation losses, and the total capacity of the transportation facility itself.

[0041] The utilization plan acquisition unit 63 acquires a hydrogen utilization plan from one or more hydrogen utilization facilities. Hydrogen utilization facilities are, for example, hydrogen power plants, hydrogen stations, etc. The hydrogen utilization plan is, for example, a plan regarding the amount of hydrogen that a hydrogen power plant will consume over a specific period of time. The utilization plan acquisition unit 63 stores the acquired hydrogen utilization plan in the utilization plan DB 83. The acquired hydrogen utilization plan may include information such as information regarding hydrogen utilization methods, the expected utilization period for each utilization method, the total cost of utilization including associated costs, efficiency, and the consumable amount for each utilization method.

[0042] The demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 acquires information such as the hydrogen procurement amount, procurement time, and procurement frequency from the hydrogen supplier as a hydrogen demand procurement plan. The demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 stores the acquired demand procurement plan in the demand procurement plan DB 84. The acquired demand procurement plan may include information on hydrogen procurement methods, as well as information such as the procurement period, procurement cost, efficiency, and yield for each procurement method.

[0043] The constraint condition acquisition unit 65 acquires constraint conditions related to the production and transportation of hydrogen, such as the weather along the operating route of the hydrogen transportation facility and the operational status of canals, and stores them in the constraint condition DB 85. The acquired constraint conditions may include information such as the storage status and available capacity of hydrogen storage facilities (tanks, etc.).

[0044] The transaction information acquisition unit 66 acquires transaction information in the hydrogen trading market and stores the acquired transaction information in the transaction information DB 86.

[0045] The optimization unit 52 optimizes the hydrogen supply chain plan so as to maximize the benefit of each information provider (some information providers may define maximizing profitability as the most important benefit, but this does not prevent each information provider from setting another benefit as the most important benefit) based on the hydrogen production and sales plan, hydrogen transportation plan, hydrogen utilization plan, hydrogen demand procurement plan, constraints, and transaction information acquired by the acquisition unit 51. The optimization unit 52 also includes cases where the benefits set by each information provider are prioritized and weighted (including cases where only the benefits of a specific information provider are considered) to create a distribution plan for the entire supply chain.

[0046] The optimization unit 52 reads out the information necessary for processing (hydrogen production and sales plan, transportation plan, utilization plan, demand procurement plan, constraints and transaction information) from each of the production and sales plan DB81, transportation plan DB82, utilization plan DB83, demand procurement plan DB84, constraints DB85 and transaction information DB86, and optimizes the hydrogen supply chain plan for each plan or for the entire supply chain based on the read out information.

[0047] The optimization unit 52 includes a transaction optimization planning unit 71. The transaction optimization planning unit 71 calculates (creates) an optimal plan for a transaction. Specifically, the transaction optimization planning unit 71 performs individual optimization for each process, adjusts the plan for the entire supply chain plan, and calculates an optimal plan while ensuring plan consistency between the processes. However, there are also cases where a different method for calculating (creating) the optimal plan is adopted.

[0048] The transaction unit 53 is responsible for sending and receiving money in connection with the transaction of hydrogen.

[0049] The display control unit 54 executes control to display the functional status of each of the functional units on the information processing device of the service provider.

[0050] The notification unit 55 notifies the corresponding service destinations (information processing devices of facilities) of the manufacturing and sales plan, transportation plan, utilization plan, demand procurement plan, constraints, and transaction information via the communication unit 19.

[0051] The setting unit 56 sets the optimum management result obtained by calculation.

[0052] Next, the operation of the server will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 5 is an example of a flowchart showing the operation of the server shown in FIGS.

[0053] In this case, an information processing device (for example, an information processing terminal such as a computer) of the hydrogen utilization facility 6 predicts hydrogen demand, creates a hydrogen utilization plan for each specific period, and transmits it to the server 1.

[0054] In the server 1, when the utilization plan acquisition unit 63 acquires the hydrogen utilization plan in step S1 of FIG. 5, the notification unit 55 notifies the information processing terminal of the hydrogen supply facility 5 of the hydrogen utilization plan. When the information processing terminal of the hydrogen supply facility 5 receives the hydrogen utilization plan from the server 1, it creates a hydrogen demand procurement plan based on the hydrogen utilization plan received from the server 1, including the amount of hydrogen to be purchased, the purchase time, and the purchase frequency, and transmits the plan to the server 1.

[0055] In the server 1, the demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 acquires the hydrogen demand procurement plan transmitted from the information processing terminal of the hydrogen supply facility 5 in step S2. When the demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 acquires the hydrogen demand procurement plan, the notification unit 55 notifies the information processing terminal of the hydrogen transportation business operator of the hydrogen demand procurement plan.

[0056] In addition, the hydrogen production facility creates a hydrogen production and sales plan for each specific period and transmits it to the server 1. In the server 1, in step S3, when the production and sales plan acquisition unit 61 acquires the hydrogen production and sales plan, the notification unit 55 notifies the information processing terminal of the hydrogen transportation business operator of the hydrogen production and sales plan.

[0057] When the hydrogen transport operator's information processing terminal receives the hydrogen production and sales plan from server 1, it selects the optimal hydrogen transport route, frequency, and means of transport based on the hydrogen production and sales plan and the hydrogen demand procurement plan, creates a hydrogen transport plan, and sends it to server 1. In the server 1, in step S4, the transportation plan acquisition unit 62 acquires the hydrogen transportation plan transmitted from the information processing terminal of the hydrogen transportation business operator, and passes it to the optimization unit 52.

[0058] In step S5, the transaction optimization plan calculation unit 71 of the optimization unit 52 optimizes the hydrogen supply chain plan based on the hydrogen utilization plan, hydrogen demand procurement plan, hydrogen production and sales plan, and hydrogen transportation plan acquired in the above acquisition step, as well as the constraints acquired by the constraint acquisition unit 65 and the market transaction information acquired by the transaction information acquisition unit 66.

[0059] If there is any modification as a result of optimization by the optimization unit 52 (No in step S6), the process returns to the hydrogen utilization plan acquisition step of step S1.

[0060] If there is no correction (Yes in step S6), the transaction is executed by the transaction unit 53 in step S7, and the series of processes ends.

[0061] There are two concepts of optimization: "process optimization" carried out for each process, and "optimization for the entire supply chain" that takes into account the optimization of each process.

[0062] First, as an example of process optimization, in the case of a hydrogen utilization plan, the timing of hydrogen utilization, timing of procurement, sales and purchase prices, etc. are optimized so that the total value for the future three months of revenue calculated from (Planned amount of hydrogen utilization × Planned unit cost of hydrogen utilization) - (Planned amount of hydrogen procurement × Planned unit cost of hydrogen procurement + Hydrogen transportation cost + Hydrogen storage cost) is maximized. The total period targeted for optimization does not have to be three months, and can be any specific period. Hydrogen losses that occur during the process can also be taken into consideration.

[0063] In the case of a hydrogen demand procurement plan, the timing of selling and procuring hydrogen, as well as the unit prices for sales and procurement, are optimized so that the total value for the next three months is maximized for the revenue calculated from (planned hydrogen sales volume x planned hydrogen sales unit price) - (planned hydrogen procurement volume x planned hydrogen procurement unit price + hydrogen transportation cost + hydrogen storage cost). The total period targeted for optimization does not have to be three months, and can be any specific period. It is also possible to take into account hydrogen losses that occur during the process.

[0064] In the case of a hydrogen production and sales plan, the timing of selling and producing hydrogen, as well as the sales and production unit prices, etc., are optimized so that the total value for the future three months of revenue calculated from (planned hydrogen sales volume x planned hydrogen sales unit price) - (planned hydrogen production volume x planned hydrogen production unit price + hydrogen transportation cost + hydrogen storage cost) is maximized. When calculating the planned hydrogen production unit price, for example, if green hydrogen is produced, forecast results such as the expected power generation volume of renewable energy may be used. The total period targeted for optimization does not have to be three months, and can be any specific period. Hydrogen losses that occur during the process may also be taken into account.

[0065] In the case of hydrogen transportation planning, the transportation route, transportation time, and transportation method are optimized to minimize hydrogen transportation costs. In optimization, based on the hydrogen demand procurement plan obtained from one or more bases and the hydrogen production and sales plan obtained from one or more bases, patterns of transportation routes and transportation means between multiple bases are identified, and the pattern that minimizes transportation costs is identified by multiplying the transportation distance required for each pattern by a preset transportation distance unit cost. Alternatively, if a transportation cost is set in advance for each transportation route, that cost may be used as is.If the transportation cost varies depending on the time of transportation or the means of transportation, it may be possible to identify the time within one month before or after the transportation date when the transportation cost will be the lowest, or to recommend selecting a transportation means that will result in the lowest transportation cost. Alternatively, in cases where the means of transportation available for each transportation route differ, resulting in differences in the transportable volume and the contracted amount for transportation, optimization can be performed not only to simply minimize transportation costs, but also to maximize the total value for the future three months of revenue calculated from (planned hydrogen transportation volume × hydrogen transportation contract unit price) - (planned hydrogen transportation volume × hydrogen transportation cost + hydrogen storage cost). Furthermore, hydrogen loss occurring during the process may be taken into consideration.

[0066] Next, with regard to "optimization across the entire supply chain," as a result of "process optimization" performed for each of the above processes, it is possible to derive partial optimization results that maximize the profitability of each process individually, but when these are considered across the entire supply chain, there is a possibility that inconsistencies in plans or increases in yield may occur in each process. In such cases, there is a risk that profitability at each process will not be maximized, so optimization refers to looking at the planned values ​​for the entire supply chain and making overall adjustments so that profitability at each process is maximized as much as possible. In "optimization across the entire supply chain," priorities can be set in advance to prioritize profitability in specific processes, or they can be set to adjust so that benefits are obtained as equally as possible.

[0067] In addition, as a modification, the server 1 may design and operate a hydrogen trading market based on a hydrogen production and sales plan, a hydrogen demand procurement plan, and a hydrogen transportation plan. In the hydrogen trading market, entities that do not actually own hydrogen can trade using spot prices and futures prices. In addition, indexes may be developed, operated, and published to promote and support transactions at spot prices and futures prices.

[0068] Next, a second embodiment of the server of the information processing device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the functional configuration of a server of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in that it has the configurations shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and further has the functional configuration shown in Fig. 6.

[0069] As shown in Figure 6, the CPU 11 of the server 1 of the second embodiment functions as a hydrogen utilization plan acquisition unit 91, a hydrogen supply plan acquisition unit 92, a hydrogen production plan acquisition unit 93, a hydrogen storage plan acquisition unit 94, a transportation information acquisition unit 95, a transport ship selection unit 96, a cost calculation unit 97, a reliability evaluation unit 98, and a transportation plan formulation unit 99.

[0070] The hydrogen usage plan acquisition unit 91 acquires a hydrogen usage plan including the amount of hydrogen to be consumed by the hydrogen power plant over a specified period. The hydrogen usage plan acquisition unit 91 acquires hydrogen usage plans for one or more hydrogen power plants. The acquired hydrogen usage plan may include information regarding the installed capacity of the hydrogen power plant, as well as information such as power generation performance, power generation cost, and power generation efficiency.

[0071] The hydrogen supply plan acquisition unit 92 acquires a hydrogen supply plan including the storable amount of hydrogen that is to be temporarily stored after being transported by the hydrogen transport facility.

[0072] The hydrogen production plan acquisition unit 93 acquires a hydrogen production plan that includes the amount of hydrogen that can be produced by the hydrogen production facility in a specified period. The hydrogen production plan acquisition unit 93 acquires hydrogen production plans for one or more hydrogen production facilities. The acquired hydrogen production plan may include information on hydrogen production methods, as well as information such as the period, cost, efficiency, yield, and scale of the facility itself required for production by each production method.

[0073] The hydrogen storage plan acquisition unit 94 stores hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production facility 2 and acquires a hydrogen storage plan including the amount of hydrogen that can be transported within a predetermined period.

[0074] The hydrogen storage plan acquisition unit 94 may acquire information about the storage status of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a. The hydrogen storage plan acquisition unit 94 may acquire information about the storage rate relative to the storage capacity of the hydrogen storage facility and the amount of hydrogen that can be supplied, according to the date and period. When purchasing hydrogen from the hydrogen storage facility 4, the hydrogen storage plan acquisition unit 94 may acquire the unit price from the hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a.

[0075] The transportation information acquisition unit 95 acquires transportation information including the transportation capacity, transportation speed, and transportation cost of the hydrogen transportation facility 3 that can be provided for a certain period including a predetermined period. The transportation information acquisition unit 95 may further acquire from the hydrogen transportation facility terminal 3a the location of the hydrogen transportation facility 3, the transportation route, the maximum amount of hydrogen to be transported, the current ratio of the maximum amount of hydrogen transportation fee, and in the case of transportation by ship, for example, the planned port of call, the current port of departure, the departure date, the planned port of arrival, and the planned arrival date and time.

[0076] The transport ship selection unit 96 selects a transport ship (hydrogen transport facility 3) that will transport the consumed hydrogen amount to the hydrogen power plant over a predetermined period of time based on the consumed hydrogen amount, the producible hydrogen amount, and the transport information. The transport ship selection unit 96 further selects a hydrogen ship (transport facility) that will transport the consumed hydrogen amount to the hydrogen power plant over a predetermined period of time based on the exportable hydrogen amount and the storable hydrogen amount. Note that the hydrogen may be transported by, for example, a methylcyclohexane (MCH) method in which toluene and hydrogen are combined, an ammonia method using ammonia, or the like, or by a transport method other than the hydrogen transport facility 3.

[0077] The cost calculation unit 97 calculates the transportation cost of the hydrogen ship (transportation facility) selected by the transport ship selection unit 96.

[0078] The reliability evaluation unit 98 calculates the reliability of at least the operators of the hydrogen production facility 2 and the hydrogen ship (transport facility). The transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates a transportation plan based on the transportation costs and the reliability.

[0079] The transportation plan formulation unit 99 constitutes an AI function together with the trained model stored in the memory unit 18. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 is connected to the respective terminals (hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a, hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, etc.) of the hydrogen storage facility 4, hydrogen transport facility 3, and hydrogen production facility 2, which are integrated with the renewable energy power plant, and formulates a hydrogen transportation plan using this AI function. Specifically, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 inputs the hydrogen utilization plan acquired by the hydrogen utilization plan acquisition unit 91, the hydrogen production plan acquired by the hydrogen production plan acquisition unit 93, and the transportation information acquired by the transportation information acquisition unit 95 into the trained model stored in the memory unit 18, and outputs the optimal transportation plan output from the trained model as the transportation plan formulation result. The trained model may be periodically checked for information that may affect the amount of hydrogen consumed, the amount of hydrogen that can be produced, transportation information, etc., such as the establishment of new transportation methods, the start of operation of hydrogen power plants, and the operating status of hydrogen production facilities, and may be automatically or manually retrained periodically or irregularly.

[0080] Next, the operation of the server of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server having the functional configuration of FIG.

[0081] In step S11, a hydrogen utilization plan including the amount of hydrogen to be consumed in hydrogen-fired power generation is acquired.

[0082] Next, in step S12, a hydrogen production plan including the producible amount of hydrogen is obtained.

[0083] In step S13, transportation information including the transportation capacity, transportation speed, and transportation cost of the hydrogen transportation facility is obtained.

[0084] In step S14, a hydrogen transport facility that transports the consumed hydrogen amount to the hydrogen power plant during a predetermined period is selected based on the consumed hydrogen amount, the producible hydrogen amount, and the transport information.

[0085] In step S15, the transportation cost by the selected hydrogen transportation facility is calculated.

[0086] In step S16, a determination is made whether the shipping costs have been optimized. Here, for example, if it is determined that the cost is not optimal (step S16: No), the process returns to step S13, the transportation information is acquired again, another transport ship is selected (step S14), and the cost is calculated again (step S15).

[0087] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S16 that the transportation costs have been minimized and optimized (step S16: Yes), in step S17, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates an optimal transportation plan for hydrogen using the trained model, and confirms the result of the formulation as the transportation plan for hydrogen.

[0088] If the formulation of the transportation plan continues even after the hydrogen transportation plan has been finalized (step S18: Yes), the process returns to the transportation information acquisition step 13. If the formulation of the hydrogen transportation plan is not to be continued (step S18: No), the series of processes is ended (END).

[0089] The third embodiment will be described below. In the above second embodiment, the server 1 (transportation plan formulation unit 99) was described as having AI functions, but below, a third embodiment will be described in which the server 1 (transportation plan formulation unit 99) does not use AI functions.

[0090] In the server 1 of this third embodiment, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 causes the transport ship selection unit 96 to select a predetermined hydrogen transportation facility and causes the cost calculation unit 97 to calculate the transportation costs using that hydrogen transportation facility. Furthermore, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 repeatedly causes the transport ship selection unit 96 to select another hydrogen transportation facility and causes the cost calculation unit 97 to calculate the transportation costs using the selected other hydrogen transportation facility, and creates a transportation plan based on the calculated transportation costs.

[0091] The transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates a transportation plan based on transportation costs and reliability. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates a transportation plan for hydrogen for hydrogen-fired power generation to be delivered within a predetermined date based on the hydrogen supply plan. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 repeatedly executes the process of having the transport ship selection unit 96 select an arbitrary transport ship and having the cost calculation unit 97 calculate the transportation costs, and further having the transport ship selection unit 96 select another hydrogen transportation facility 3 and having the cost calculation unit 97 calculate the transportation costs using the selected other hydrogen transportation facility 3, and creates a transportation plan based on the calculated transportation costs. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates a transportation plan to have the hydrogen transport ship arrive at the hydrogen storage facility 4 on a specified date, transfer hydrogen to the hydrogen transport ship, and have the hydrogen transport ship depart and arrive at a specified hydrogen supply facility 5. The transportation plan includes at least the ports of arrival and departure, the scheduled dates of arrival and departure, the amount of hydrogen to be transported, and the transportation cost. The transportation plan may further include the name of the hydrogen storage facility, the location of the hydrogen storage facility, the name of the hydrogen supply facility, the location of the hydrogen supply facility 5, the scheduled arrival date of the hydrogen supply facility 5, and the transportation cost including insurance.

[0092] There are a plurality of hydrogen transport facilities 3. The transport plan formulation unit 99 formulates transport plans for the plurality of hydrogen transport facilities 3 in accordance with the hydrogen delivery plan to the hydrogen supply facility 5. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 links the identifiers of each transport ship to grasp the location of each transport ship, the capacity of each transport ship, the sailing speed of each transport ship, expected weather information, expected hydrogen demand, expected hydrogen buying and selling price, and the port from which the ship is sailing to and from, and formulates a transportation plan based on this information so that hydrogen can be delivered to the hydrogen supply facility 5 without delay.

[0093] For example, the transportation planning unit 99 optimally allocates multiple hydrogen transportation facilities 3 based on the hydrogen supply plan of the hydrogen supply facility 5. For example, in Japan, the maximum amount of power generation is required in August. The transportation planning unit uses a 300,000-ton large tanker to transport liquid hydrogen (green hydrogen) generated using solar power generation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in June, when the rate of sunny weather is high, in the standard 50-day sailing period, and delivers the liquid hydrogen to Japan in August.

[0094] Meanwhile, the Transportation Planning Department 99 will use a 100,000-ton medium-sized tanker to transport liquid hydrogen (green hydrogen) generated using solar power generation on the west coast of the United States in early August, taking a standard 20-day journey, and deliver the liquid hydrogen to Japan in late August. Together, these will meet the demand for hydrogen and electricity in August. At large-scale hydrogen transport facilities 3, it is possible to operate zero-emission fuel ships that use evaporated hydrogen as voyage fuel. It is effective to take this fact into account when calculating transportation costs as a low-cost option for hydrogen transport facilities 3.

[0095] When multiple operation plans are derived that will deliver hydrogen to the hydrogen receiving terminal without delay, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 applies the transportation plan that will minimize the total cost of transporting hydrogen. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 selects a hydrogen transportation facility 3 that will transport the consumed hydrogen amount to the hydrogen power plant during a predetermined period based on the consumed hydrogen amount, the producible hydrogen amount, and the transportation information.

[0096] The transportation plan formulation unit 99 simulates a transportation plan based on the transportation information and information on the amount of hydrogen that can be produced to smoothly satisfy the amount of hydrogen consumed. Generally, there are multiple possible combinations of transportation schedules for transport ships. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates a transportation plan based on the results of multiple simulations, for example, a plan with the lowest transportation costs and the degree of freedom of the transportation plan (the degree of response to sudden changes in weather). If the transport ship selection unit 96 is unable to select a hydrogen transport facility 3 that will transport the consumed amount of hydrogen to the hydrogen power plant within a specified period, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 will make a proposal to the hydrogen production facility 2 to revise the hydrogen utilization plan.

[0097] (Other examples) In the above embodiment, the hydrogen storage facility 4 receives liquid hydrogen from the hydrogen production facility 2, but it may also be set at a port of call on the liquid hydrogen transportation route. In this case, for example, the remaining liquid hydrogen may not be discharged in its entirety and may be stored in the hydrogen storage facility 4 at the port of call. It is also conceivable that a liquid hydrogen transport ship may unload some of the liquid hydrogen not only at the final destination but also at ports of call along the way.

[0098] When a certain amount of liquid hydrogen has accumulated in the hydrogen storage facility 4 at the port of call, it becomes possible to transport the hydrogen by loading it all at once onto a tanker. Local production and consumption, where the production site of liquid hydrogen is located close to the consumption site with a hydrogen receiving terminal, reduces transportation costs and therefore reduces the cost of liquid hydrogen. For this reason, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 of the server 1 may prioritize the transportation of liquid hydrogen from a liquid hydrogen production site that is relatively close to the hydrogen receiving terminal.

[0099] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention are considered to be included in the present invention.

[0100] Furthermore, the system configuration shown in FIG. 2 and the hardware configuration of the server 1 shown in FIG. 3 are merely examples for achieving the object of the present invention, and are not particularly limited.

[0101] Furthermore, the functional block diagram shown in Fig. 4 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the information processing system of Fig. 2 is provided with functions that can execute the various processes described above as a whole, and the functional blocks and databases used to realize these functions are not particularly limited to the example of Fig. 4. Furthermore, there are cases where optimization calculations are performed based on only some of the acquisition units of the functional blocks, and it is not necessarily required that all of the functional blocks are provided.

[0102] Furthermore, the locations of the functional blocks and databases are not limited to those shown in FIG. 4 and may be arbitrary. For example, at least some of the functional blocks and databases located on the server 1 side may be provided on the hydrogen production facility 2 side, the hydrogen transportation facility 3 side, the hydrogen storage facility 4 side, the hydrogen supply facility 5 side, the hydrogen utilization facility 6 side, or on another information processing device not shown.

[0103] In the above embodiment, a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen (e.g., the utilization plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying hydrogen to meet demand and procuring the required amount (e.g., the demand procurement plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen production and sales plan for producing and selling the hydrogen (e.g., the production and sales plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting the hydrogen (e.g., the transportation plan in FIG. 1), constraints on trading the hydrogen, and market trading information are acquired from information sources, and all of the acquired information is used. However, the system may also perform optimization using at least a portion of the acquired information. For example, an "optimization system that focuses only on the utilization and supply of hydrogen," an "optimization system that focuses only on the production and sales of hydrogen," or a "system that focuses only on optimizing hydrogen transportation" are possible.

[0104] The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0105] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built on dedicated hardware. The computer may also be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0106] The recording medium containing such a program may be composed of not only a removable medium (not shown) that is distributed separately from the device main body in order to provide the program to the user, but also a recording medium that is provided to the user in a state that it is pre-installed in the device main body.

[0107] In this specification, the steps describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically in accordance with the order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are performed in parallel or individually.

[0108] To sum up, the information processing device to which the present invention is applied is sufficient as long as it has the following configuration, and can take on a variety of different embodiments. That is, an information processing device to which the present invention is applied (for example, the server 1 in FIGS. 2 to 4) (1) A hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen (e.g., the utilization plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying the hydrogen to meet the demand and procuring the required amount (e.g., the demand procurement plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen production and sales plan for producing and selling the hydrogen (e.g., the production and sales plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting the hydrogen (e.g., the transportation plan in FIG. 1), and an acquisition means (e.g., the acquisition unit 51 in FIG. 4) for acquiring constraints and market trading information for trading the hydrogen from an information acquisition source; an optimization means (for example, the optimization unit 52 in FIG. 4) that optimizes a hydrogen supply chain plan based on the acquired hydrogen utilization plan, hydrogen demand procurement plan, hydrogen production and sales plan, hydrogen transportation plan, constraints, and transaction information so as to maximize profitability in each process (plan creation process and transaction condition setting process) of the information acquisition source; It is enough to have this.

[0109] In this way, it is possible to optimize the management of the hydrogen supply chain and the hydrogen trading plan in order to utilize hydrogen as a next-generation energy resource.

[0110] Furthermore, a notification means (for example, the notification unit 55 in FIG. 4) for notifying the manufacturing and sales plan, transportation plan, utilization plan, demand procurement plan, constraints, and transaction information to the corresponding facilities may be provided. This allows each facility to receive optimized planning information.

[0111] Furthermore, by providing a trading means (for example, trading unit 53 in FIG. 4) that controls the sending and receiving of money involved in hydrogen trading, it becomes possible to efficiently design and operate the hydrogen trading market. This will enable the development, operation and publication of indices to promote and support trading at spot and futures prices.

[0112] (2) An information processing device (for example, the server 1 in FIGS. 2 to 4) The acquisition means (for example, the acquisition unit 51 in FIG. 4) a production and sales plan acquisition means (for example, the production and sales plan acquisition unit 61 in FIG. 4) that acquires the hydrogen production and sales plan from one or more hydrogen production facilities; a transportation plan acquisition means (for example, the transportation plan acquisition unit 62 in FIG. 4) for acquiring a hydrogen transportation plan from a hydrogen transportation facility; a utilization plan acquisition means (for example, the utilization plan acquisition unit 63 in FIG. 4) that acquires the hydrogen utilization plan from one or more hydrogen utilization facilities; a demand procurement plan acquisition means (for example, the demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 in FIG. 4) that acquires a hydrogen demand procurement plan including the hydrogen purchase amount and purchase time from a hydrogen supplier; a constraint condition acquisition means (for example, the constraint condition acquisition unit 65 in FIG. 4) for acquiring constraint conditions related to the production, transportation, and supply of hydrogen; trading information acquisition means (for example, the trading information acquisition unit 66 in FIG. 4) for acquiring trading information in the hydrogen trading market; Equipped with a transaction optimization plan calculation means (e.g., the transaction optimization plan calculation unit 71 in FIG. 4) that comprehensively analyzes the hydrogen production and sales plan acquired by the production and sales plan acquisition means, the hydrogen transportation plan acquired by the transportation plan acquisition means, the hydrogen utilization plan acquired by the utilization plan acquisition means, the hydrogen demand procurement plan acquired by the demand procurement plan acquisition means, the constraints acquired by the constraints acquisition means, and the transaction information acquired by the transaction information acquisition means, and calculates an optimal plan for the hydrogen transaction in the transaction so that the profits of each trading entity are maximized and transportation costs are minimized; trading means (e.g., trading unit 53 in FIG. 4) that trades the hydrogen in the transaction based on the optimal plan calculated by the transaction optimization plan calculation means (e.g., transaction optimization plan calculation unit 71 in FIG. 4); Equipped with The transaction optimization plan calculation means (e.g., the transaction optimization plan calculation unit 71 in Figure 4) performs individual optimization for each process, then adjusts the plan for the entire supply chain plan, and calculates the optimal plan while ensuring plan consistency between the processes. This will enable efficient collection of information from each facility and optimization of the entire hydrogen supply chain. Alternatively, in "optimization across the entire supply chain," priorities can be set in advance to prioritize profitability in specific processes, or settings can be made to adjust so that benefits are obtained as equally as possible.

[0113] (3) An information processing device (for example, the server 1 in FIGS. 2 to 4) Furthermore, the hydrogen utilization plan acquisition unit 91 in FIG. 6 acquires a hydrogen utilization plan including the amount of hydrogen consumed by the hydrogen power plant in a predetermined period, the hydrogen production plan acquisition unit 93 in FIG. 6 acquires a hydrogen utilization plan including the amount of hydrogen that can be produced by the hydrogen production facility in a predetermined period, the transportation information acquisition unit 95 in FIG. 6 acquires transportation information including the transportation capacity, transportation speed, and transportation cost of a hydrogen transportation facility (e.g., hydrogen transportation facility 3 in FIG. 1) that can provide hydrogen utilization data for learning, learning data, and the like. a storage means (e.g., the storage unit 18 in FIG. 6) for storing a trained model (e.g., the trained model 87 in FIG. 6) that has been trained to output a transport plan for a transport ship using training hydrogen production data and training transportation data of a hydrogen transport facility as input; and a transportation plan formulation means (e.g., the transportation plan formulation unit 99 in FIG. 6) that formulates an optimal transportation plan by inputting the hydrogen utilization plan acquired by the hydrogen utilization plan acquisition means, the hydrogen production plan acquired by the hydrogen production plan acquisition means, and the transportation information acquired by the transportation information acquisition means into the trained model (e.g., the trained model 87 in FIG. 6); It can be equipped with: This will enable the development of efficient hydrogen transportation plans using AI technology, promoting the optimization of the entire hydrogen supply chain. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1 Server, 2 Hydrogen production facility, 3 Hydrogen transportation facility, 4 Hydrogen storage facility, 5 Hydrogen supply facility, 6 Hydrogen utilization facility, 7 Renewable energy power plant, 11 CPU, 12 ROM, 13 RAM, 14 Bus, 15 Input / output interface, 16 Input section, 17 Output section, 18 Memory section, 19 Communication section, 20 Drive, 21 Removable media, 51 Acquisition section, 52 Optimization section, 53 Trading section, 54 Display control section, 55 Notification section, 56 Setting section, 61 Manufacturing and sales plan acquisition section, 62 Transportation plan acquisition section , 63...Utilization plan acquisition unit, 64...Demand procurement plan acquisition unit, 65...Constraint condition acquisition unit, 66...Transaction information acquisition unit, 71...Transaction optimization planning unit, 81...Production and sales plan DB, 82...Transportation plan DB, 83...Utilization plan DB, 84...Demand procurement plan DB, 85...Constraint condition DB, 86...Transaction information DB, 87...Trained model, 91...Hydrogen utilization plan acquisition unit, 92...Hydrogen supply plan acquisition unit, 93...Hydrogen production plan acquisition unit, 94...Hydrogen storage plan acquisition unit, 95...Transportation information acquisition unit, 96...Transport ship selection unit, 97...Cost calculation unit, 98...Reliability evaluation unit, 99...Transportation plan formulation unit

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring, as acquired information, at least one of the following: a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen; a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying and procuring the required amount of hydrogen to meet the demand for said hydrogen; a hydrogen production and sales plan for producing and selling said hydrogen; and a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting said hydrogen; and at least one of the following: constraints and transaction information for trading said hydrogen; and an optimization means for optimizing the hydrogen supply chain plan based on the acquired acquired information so as to maximize the profitability of each process of the information source.

2. The acquisition means includes: a manufacturing and sales plan acquisition means for acquiring the hydrogen manufacturing and sales plan from one or more hydrogen manufacturing facilities; a transportation plan acquisition means for acquiring the hydrogen transportation plan from one or more hydrogen transportation facilities; a utilization plan acquisition means for acquiring the hydrogen utilization plan from one or more hydrogen utilization facilities; a demand and procurement plan acquisition means for acquiring the hydrogen demand and procurement plan, including the amount and timing of hydrogen procurement, from a hydrogen supplier; a constraints acquisition means for acquiring constraints related to the manufacturing, transportation, and supply of hydrogen; and a transaction information acquisition means for acquiring transaction information of hydrogen. Information processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a transaction optimization plan calculation means that comprehensively analyzes at least one of the following, which constitutes the acquired information: the hydrogen production and sales plan acquired by the production and sales plan acquisition means, the hydrogen transportation plan acquired by the transportation plan acquisition means, the hydrogen utilization plan acquired by the utilization plan acquisition means, and the hydrogen demand and procurement plan acquired by the demand and procurement plan acquisition means, and at least one of the following: the constraints acquired by the constraints acquisition means and the transaction information acquired by the transaction information acquisition means, and calculates an optimal plan for trading the hydrogen in the transaction so that the profits of each transaction entity are maximized and transportation costs are minimized; and a transaction means that conducts the transaction of the hydrogen in the transaction market based on the optimal plan calculated by the transaction optimization plan calculation means, wherein the transaction optimization plan calculation means performs individual optimization for each process, then adjusts the plan for the entire supply chain plan, and calculates the optimal plan while ensuring the consistency of the plans between the processes.

3. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising: acquisition means including hydrogen utilization plan acquisition means for acquiring a hydrogen utilization plan that includes the amount of hydrogen to be consumed by a hydrogen power plant during a predetermined period as the hydrogen utilization plan, the information processing apparatus including hydrogen production plan acquisition means for acquiring a hydrogen production plan that includes the amount of hydrogen that can be produced by a hydrogen production facility during a predetermined period; transportation information acquisition means for acquiring transportation information including the transportation capacity, transportation speed, and transportation costs of a hydrogen transportation facility that can be provided for a certain period including the predetermined period; storage means for storing a trained model that has been trained to output a transportation plan for a transport ship, taking training hydrogen utilization data, training hydrogen production data, and training hydrogen transportation facility transportation data as inputs; and transportation plan formulation means for formulating an optimal transportation plan by inputting the hydrogen utilization plan acquired by the hydrogen utilization plan acquisition means, the hydrogen production plan acquired by the hydrogen production plan acquisition means, and the transportation information acquired by the transportation information acquisition means into the trained model.

4. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring, as acquired information, at least one of a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen, a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying hydrogen to meet demand and procuring the required amount, a hydrogen production and sales plan for manufacturing and selling hydrogen, and a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting hydrogen, and at least one of constraints and transaction information for trading hydrogen, from an information source; and an optimization step of optimizing the hydrogen supply chain plan based on the acquired acquired information so as to maximize the profitability of each process of the information source.

5. The computer acquires, as acquired information, at least one of the following from an information source: a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen, a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying and procuring the required amount of hydrogen to meet the demand for hydrogen, a hydrogen production and sales plan for producing and selling hydrogen, and a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting hydrogen, and at least one of the following: constraints and transaction information for trading hydrogen; and an optimization step which optimizes the hydrogen supply chain plan based on the acquired acquired information so as to maximize the profitability of each process of the information source. A program that executes control processes, including those mentioned above.

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