Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

Provided is an information processing device for optimizing a hydrogen supply chain for utilizing hydrogen as a next generation energy resource.　The information processing device comprises: a manufacturing and sales plan acquisition unit 61 that acquires a hydrogen manufacturing 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 a constraint condition; a transaction information acquisition unit 66 that acquires transaction information; and an optimization unit 52. The optimization unit 52 optimizes, on the basis of the various acquired plans, constraint condition and transaction information, the whole hydrogen supply plan so as to maximize profitability of each process of manufacturing, transportation, sales, and utilization pertaining to hydrogen.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and program

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

[0002] Hydrogen is expected to be widely adopted as a clean energy source. To widely promote 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 has been a system that comprehensively considers the purchase of coal for power generation, the cost per calorific value of the coal, transportation costs, and waste disposal costs, and selects coal to minimize the coal purchase cost per unit of power generation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent No. 4738186

[0004] However, the conventional technology is limited to procuring coal and does not address the hydrogen supply chain for utilizing hydrogen as an energy source. While there is a demand for a solution to this problem, 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.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an information processing device of one embodiment 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 the hydrogen, a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting the hydrogen, constraints and trading information for trading the hydrogen; and an optimization means for optimizing the hydrogen supply chain plan so as to maximize the profitability of each process of the information acquisition source 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 trading information.

[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.

[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.

[0009] 6 is a diagram showing an overview 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. FIG. 7 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. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server in the information processing system of FIG. 2. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server of FIG. 3 that constitutes the information processing system of FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart showing the operation of the server shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the functional configuration of a server of an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of a server having the functional configuration of FIG.

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

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the 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, a hydrogen supply chain operation optimization system (hereinafter referred to as the "system") is shown in Figure 1 as an example of an information processing system. This system can optimize the management of the hydrogen supply chain and the entire hydrogen trade so as to maximize the profitability of each process based on a hydrogen utilization plan, a hydrogen demand procurement plan, a hydrogen production and sales plan, a hydrogen transportation plan, and trade conditions (e.g., constraints related to hydrogen trade and market trading prices).

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

[0015] The hydrogen production facility 2 produces green hydrogen using renewable energy and blue hydrogen using a CCUS (Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization, and Storage) facility. The hydrogen production facility 2 provides a production and sales plan to the server 1 and receives from the 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 benefit the most (including, but not limited to, improving profitability, improving productivity, reducing yields, etc.).

[0016] The hydrogen transport facility 3 transports hydrogen using 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 in what quantity the hydrogen should be transported, taking into account the entire hydrogen supply chain and / or which hydrogen transport business operator can benefit most from (including, but not limited to, improving profitability, improving transport efficiency, reducing transport loss, etc.).

[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 information about hydrogen storage at one specific location, or may be information about storage at multiple locations.

[0018] The hydrogen supply facility 5 supplies hydrogen to factories, power plants, and other demand facilities using pipelines, etc. The hydrogen supply facility 5 provides the server 1 with a demand procurement plan, 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, from the perspective of improving profitability and reducing yields, etc.).

[0019] The hydrogen utilization facility 6 generates hydrogen electricity at a hydrogen power plant (including hydrogen co-firing power generation) or supplies hydrogen to hydrogen stations 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 benefits (including, but not limited to, reducing the price of hydrogen usage) in light of the entire hydrogen supply chain, including changes and 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 enables supply chain management, such as grasping the handling volume at each process in real time and 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 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, the hydrogen supply chain for utilizing hydrogen as a next-generation energy resource can be optimized, enabling the stable and inexpensive use of hydrogen. Although not shown in Figure 1, this service may also be configured to design and operate a hydrogen trading market based on production and sales plans and demand procurement plans. Since the hydrogen trading market allows entities that do not actually own hydrogen to trade using spot prices and futures prices, this service uses a server to handle hydrogen trading. This makes it possible to formulate, operate, and publish indicators to promote and support trading at spot prices and futures prices.

[0025] Next, the configuration of an information processing system that realizes the provision of the above-described service, i.e., an information processing system to which a server according to an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention is applied, will be described with reference to Fig. 2. 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 the hydrogen production facility 2 (see Figure 1), a hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a installed at the hydrogen transport facility 3, a hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a installed at the hydrogen storage facility 4, a hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a installed at the hydrogen supply facility 5, a hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a installed at the hydrogen utilization facility 6, and a renewable energy power plant terminal 7a installed at the renewable energy power plant 7. The server 1, the hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, the hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a, the hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, the hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, the hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, and the 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 (Figure 1). The server 1 executes various processes to realize this service while appropriately communicating with a hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, a hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a, a hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a, a hydrogen supply facility terminal 5a, a hydrogen utilization facility terminal 6a, and a renewable energy power plant terminal 7a. The hydrogen production facility 2 is a facility where hydrogen is produced. 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 company. The hydrogen transport facility 3 is a facility where hydrogen is transported. 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 company. The hydrogen storage facility 4 is a facility where hydrogen is stored. 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 company.

[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 programs recorded in the ROM 12 or programs 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 interconnected 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 types of information. The output unit 17 is configured with, for example, a display such as an LCD, a speaker, and the like and outputs various types of information as images and sounds. The memory unit 18 is configured with, for example, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and is used to store various types of data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices (e.g., 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 ) via a network NW including the Internet, via their respective information processing devices.

[0033] Removable media 21, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 20. Programs read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. The removable media 21 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 18 in the same way 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 the trading unit 53 is not included, for example.

[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 an information source 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 transaction information for trading the hydrogen. The acquisition unit 51 includes a production 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 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 production period, cost, efficiency, yield, and scale of the facility itself for each production 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 hydrogen transportation methods, the period, cost, efficiency, transportation loss, and total capacity of the transportation facility itself required for each transportation method.

[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 weather along the operating route of the hydrogen transportation facility and the operational status of canals, and stores the acquired constraint conditions 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 and 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 DB 81, transportation plan DB 82, utilization plan DB 83, demand procurement plan DB 84, constraints DB 85 and transaction information DB 86, 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 (drafts) an optimal plan for transactions. 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, a different method for calculating (drafting) the optimal plan may also be 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 (facility information processing devices) 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. 5. 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 Figure 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 including the amount of hydrogen to be purchased, the timing of purchase, and the frequency of purchase based on the hydrogen utilization plan received from the server 1, and transmits the plan to the server 1.

[0055] In step S2, the demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 of the server 1 acquires the hydrogen demand procurement plan transmitted from the information processing terminal of the hydrogen supply facility 5. 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] The hydrogen production facility also 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, the production and sales plan acquisition unit 61 acquires the hydrogen production and sales plan, and the notification unit 55 notifies the information processing terminal of the hydrogen transport business operator of the hydrogen production and sales plan.

[0057] When the information processing terminal of the hydrogen transportation company receives the hydrogen production and sales plan from the server 1, it selects the optimal hydrogen transportation route, frequency, transportation means, etc. based on the hydrogen production and sales plan and the hydrogen demand procurement plan, creates a hydrogen transportation plan, and sends it to the 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 company 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 constraint conditions acquired by the constraint condition acquisition unit 65 and the market transaction information acquired by the transaction information acquisition unit 66.

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

[0060] If no corrections are required (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 next three months is maximized for the profit calculated by (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). The total period to be optimized 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 account.

[0063] In the case of a hydrogen demand procurement plan, the timing of hydrogen sales and procurement, sales and procurement unit prices, etc. are optimized so that the total value for the future three months is maximized for the revenue calculated by (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. Hydrogen losses that occur during the process can also be taken into account.

[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, are optimized so that the total revenue calculated as (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) for the next three months 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, optimization is performed on the transportation route, transportation time, and transportation method to minimize hydrogen transportation costs. To optimize, based on a hydrogen demand procurement plan obtained from one or more base stations and a hydrogen production and sales plan obtained from one or more base stations, patterns of transportation routes and transportation means between multiple base stations 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 price. Alternatively, if transportation costs are preset for each transportation route, these may be used as is. If transportation costs vary depending on the transportation time and method, it may be recommended to identify the period with the lowest transportation costs within one month before and after, or to select a transportation means that will result in the lowest transportation costs. Alternatively, if the transportation means available for each transportation route differ and the transportable volume and contracted transportation costs differ, optimization may be performed not only to simply minimize transportation costs but also to maximize the total revenue calculated by (planned hydrogen transportation volume × hydrogen transportation contract price) - (planned hydrogen transportation volume × hydrogen transportation cost + hydrogen storage cost) for the future three months. Furthermore, hydrogen loss occurring during the process may be taken into consideration.

[0066] Next, regarding "optimization across the entire supply chain," while it is possible to derive partial optimization results that maximize the profitability of each individual process as a result of "process optimization" performed for each process, when these are considered across the entire supply chain, there is a possibility that inconsistencies in plans or increases in yield may occur at each process. In such cases, there is a risk that the profitability of each process will not be maximized as a result, so this refers to optimization that looks at the planned values ​​for the entire supply chain and makes overall adjustments to maximize the profitability of each process as much as possible. In "optimization across the entire supply chain," priorities can be set in advance to prioritize the profitability of specific processes, or settings can be made to adjust so that the same level of benefit is obtained as much as possible.

[0067] In another variation, 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. Indices may also be formulated, operated, and made public to promote and support trading at spot prices and futures prices.

[0068] Next, a second embodiment of a server of an information processing device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the functional configuration of a server of an information processing device according to the present invention. Note that the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in that it includes the configurations shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and further includes 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 utilization plan acquisition unit 91 acquires a hydrogen utilization plan including the amount of hydrogen to be consumed by the hydrogen power plant over a predetermined period. The hydrogen utilization plan acquisition unit 91 acquires hydrogen utilization plans for one or more hydrogen power plants. The acquired hydrogen utilization plan may include information on the installed capacity of the hydrogen power plant, as well as information on 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 amount of hydrogen that can be temporarily stored after being transported by the hydrogen transport facility.

[0072] The hydrogen production plan acquisition unit 93 acquires a hydrogen production plan including the amount of hydrogen that can be produced by the hydrogen production facility in a predetermined 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 of time.

[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 ratio of the current amount to 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 date of departure, the planned port of arrival, and the planned date and time of arrival.

[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 transportable 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 (transport 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 configures an AI function together with the trained model stored in the memory unit 18. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 is connected to each terminal (such as the hydrogen production facility terminal 2a, the hydrogen transport facility terminal 3a, and the hydrogen storage facility terminal 4a) of the hydrogen storage facility 4, the hydrogen transport facility 3, and the 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. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server having the functional configuration of Fig. 6.

[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, it is determined whether the transportation cost is optimized. If it is determined that the cost is not optimal (step S16: No), the process returns to step S13, where 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 hydrogen transportation plan continues even after the hydrogen transportation plan is finalized (step S18: Yes), the process returns to the transportation information acquisition step 13. If the formulation of the hydrogen transportation plan does not continue (step S18: No), the process ends (END).

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

[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 the transportation cost and reliability. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates a transportation plan for hydrogen for hydrogen-fired power generation to be delivered within a specified date based on the hydrogen supply plan. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 repeatedly executes the following steps: selects an arbitrary transport ship using the transport ship selection unit 96, causes the cost calculation unit 97 to calculate the transportation cost, and further causes the transport ship selection unit 96 to select another hydrogen transport facility 3 and causes the cost calculation unit 97 to calculate the transportation cost using the selected other hydrogen transport facility 3, and creates a transportation plan based on the calculated transportation costs. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 formulates a transportation plan for having 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 from port 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 expected arrival date of the hydrogen supply facility 5, and transportation costs including insurance.

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

[0093] For example, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 optimally allocates a plurality of 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 plan formulation 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, within 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. This will meet the demand for hydrogen and electricity in August. At the large hydrogen transportation facility 3, it will be possible to operate zero-emission fuel ships that use evaporated hydrogen as maritime fuel. It is effective to incorporate this fact into the calculation of transportation costs as a low-cost measure of the hydrogen transportation facility 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 hydrogen transportation cost. The transportation plan formulation unit 99 selects a hydrogen transportation facility 3 that will transport the consumed hydrogen amount to the hydrogen power plant over a specified 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 ability to respond 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 amount of hydrogen consumed to the hydrogen power plant within a specified period, the transportation plan formulation unit 99 proposes to the hydrogen production facility 2 to amend 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 liquid hydrogen by loading it all 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 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 if the information processing system in 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 in Fig. 4. Furthermore, there are cases where optimization calculations are performed based on only some of the acquisition units among the functional blocks, and it is not necessarily required that all 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 transport 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 and market trading information for trading the hydrogen 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, and each functional block can be configured by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0105] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs constituting the software are installed onto a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer incorporated into 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 not only of 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 of a recording medium that is provided to the user in a state that 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 in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually.

[0108] In summary, an information processing device to which the present invention is applied is sufficient as long as it has the following configuration, and can take various forms. That is, an information processing device to which the present invention is applied (for example, the server 1 in FIGS. 2 to 4) is sufficient if it includes: (1) an acquisition means (for example, the acquisition unit 51 in FIG. 4) that acquires, from an information acquisition source, a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen (for example, the utilization plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying hydrogen to demand and procuring the required amount (for example, the demand procurement plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen production and sales plan for producing and selling the hydrogen (for example, the production and sales plan in FIG. 1), a hydrogen transportation plan for transporting the hydrogen (for example, the transportation plan in FIG. 1), constraints for trading the hydrogen, and market trading information; and an optimization means (for example, the optimization unit 52 in FIG. 4) that optimizes the 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 trading information so as to maximize profitability in each process (plan creation process and trading condition setting process) of the information acquisition source.

[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) can be provided to notify the corresponding facilities of the manufacturing and sales plan, transportation plan, utilization plan, demand procurement plan, constraints, and transaction information, thereby enabling each facility to receive optimized plan information.

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

[0112] (2) The information processing device (e.g., the server 1 in Figures 2 to 4) has the acquisition means (e.g., the acquisition unit 51 in Figure 4) comprising: a production and sales plan acquisition means (e.g., the production and sales plan acquisition unit 61 in Figure 4) that acquires the hydrogen production and sales plan from one or more hydrogen production facilities; a transportation plan acquisition means (e.g., the transportation plan acquisition unit 62 in Figure 4) that acquires a hydrogen transportation plan from a hydrogen transportation facility; a utilization plan acquisition means (e.g., the utilization plan acquisition unit 63 in Figure 4) that acquires the hydrogen utilization plan from one or more hydrogen utilization facilities; a demand procurement plan acquisition means (e.g., the demand procurement plan acquisition unit 64 in Figure 4) that acquires a hydrogen demand procurement plan including the hydrogen purchase amount and purchase timing from a hydrogen supplier; a constraint condition acquisition means (e.g., the constraint condition acquisition unit 65 in Figure 4) that acquires constraint conditions related to the production, transportation, and supply of the hydrogen; and a trading information acquisition means (e.g., the trading information acquisition unit 66 in Figure 4) that acquires trading information in the hydrogen trading market. a transaction optimization plan calculation means (e.g., the transaction optimization plan calculation unit 71 in FIG. 4 ) that performs an integrated analysis of 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 as to maximize the profits of each trading entity and minimize transportation costs; and a trading means (e.g., the 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., the transaction optimization plan calculation unit 71 in FIG. 4 ), wherein the transaction optimization plan calculation means (e.g., the transaction optimization plan calculation unit 71 in FIG. 4 ) performs individual optimization for each process, and then adjusts the plan across 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) The information processing device (for example, the server 1 in FIGS. 2 to 4) further includes: a hydrogen utilization plan acquisition means (for example, the hydrogen utilization plan acquisition unit 91 in FIG. 6) for acquiring a hydrogen utilization plan including the amount of hydrogen consumed by the hydrogen power plant in a predetermined period; a hydrogen production plan acquisition means (for example, the hydrogen production plan acquisition unit 93 in FIG. 6) for acquiring a hydrogen production plan including the amount of hydrogen that can be produced by the hydrogen production facility in a predetermined period; a transportation information acquisition means (for example, the transportation information acquisition unit 95 in FIG. 6) for acquiring transportation information including the transportation capacity, transportation speed, and transportation cost of a hydrogen transportation facility (for example, the hydrogen transportation facility 3 in FIG. 1) that can provide hydrogen for a certain period including the predetermined period; hydrogen utilization data for learning, learning data for learning, and the like. The system may include: a storage means (e.g., storage unit 18 in FIG. 6 ) that stores a trained model (e.g., trained model 87 in FIG. 6 ) that has been trained to output a transportation plan for a transport ship using training hydrogen production data and training transportation data of a hydrogen transportation facility as input; and a transportation plan formulation means (e.g., 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., trained model 87 in FIG. 6 ). This enables the formulation of efficient hydrogen transportation plans using AI technology, promoting the optimization of the entire hydrogen supply chain.

[0114] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 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 unit, 17: Output unit, 18: Memory unit, 19: Communication unit, 20: Drive, 21: Removable media, 51: Acquisition unit, 52: Optimization unit, 53: Trading unit, 54: Display control unit, 55: Notification unit, 56: Setting unit, 61: Production and sales plan acquisition unit, 62: Transportation plan acquisition unit , 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...Manufacturing 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 from an information acquisition source all or any of the following: a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen, a hydrogen demand procurement plan for supplying hydrogen to 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; and an optimization means for optimizing the hydrogen supply chain plan so as to maximize the profitability of each process of the information acquisition source based on the acquired all or any of the hydrogen utilization plan, hydrogen demand procurement plan, hydrogen production and sales plan, hydrogen transportation plan, hydrogen production and sales plan, hydrogen transportation plan, constraints and trading information.

2. The acquisition means comprises all or any of the following: a production and sales plan acquisition means for acquiring the hydrogen production and sales plan from one or more hydrogen production 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 procurement plan acquisition means for acquiring the hydrogen demand procurement plan, including the hydrogen purchase amount and purchase timing, from the hydrogen supplier; a constraint condition acquisition means for acquiring constraint conditions related to the production, transportation, and supply of hydrogen; and a transaction information acquisition means for acquiring hydrogen transaction information; 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, comprising: a transaction optimization plan calculation means that performs an integrated analysis of all or any of 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 on production, transportation, and supply 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 as to maximize profits for each trading entity and minimize transportation costs; and a trading means that trades the hydrogen on the trading 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, and then adjusts the plan for the entire supply chain plan, and calculates the optimal plan while ensuring plan consistency between the processes.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a hydrogen utilization plan acquisition means for acquiring a hydrogen utilization plan including the amount of hydrogen consumed by a hydrogen power plant over a specified period; a hydrogen production plan acquisition means for acquiring a hydrogen production plan including the amount of hydrogen that can be produced by a hydrogen production facility over a specified period; a transportation information acquisition means for acquiring transportation information including the transportation capacity, transportation speed, and transportation costs of a hydrogen transportation facility that can provide hydrogen over a certain period including the specified period; a storage means for storing a trained model that has been trained to output a transportation plan for a transport ship using learning hydrogen utilization data, learning hydrogen production data, and learning transportation data of the hydrogen transportation facility as input; and a 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 executed by an information processing device, comprising all or any of the following steps: an acquisition step of acquiring from an information acquisition source a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen, a hydrogen demand procurement plan for the demand and procurement of said hydrogen, a hydrogen production and sales plan for the production and sale of said hydrogen, a hydrogen transportation plan for the transportation of said hydrogen, constraints and transaction information for trading said hydrogen; and a step of optimizing said hydrogen supply chain plan so as to maximize the profitability of each process of said information acquisition source based on the acquired hydrogen utilization plan, hydrogen demand procurement plan, hydrogen production and sales plan, hydrogen transportation plan, constraints and transaction information.

5. A program that causes a computer to execute control processing including: an acquisition step of acquiring from an information source a hydrogen utilization plan for utilizing hydrogen, a hydrogen demand procurement plan for the demand and procurement of said hydrogen, a hydrogen production and sales plan for the production and sale of said hydrogen, a hydrogen transportation plan for the transportation of said hydrogen, and constraints and transaction information for trading said hydrogen; and a step of optimizing the hydrogen supply chain plan so as to maximize the profitability of each process of the information source based on the acquired hydrogen utilization plan, hydrogen demand procurement plan, hydrogen production and sales plan, hydrogen transportation plan, constraints and transaction information.

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