Designing an autonomous hydrogen-based energy hub for a military site

Žvar Baškovič, Urban (author), Mori, Mitja (author), Stolz, Ariel Marie (author), Šipec, Robert (author), Katrašnik, Tomaž (author), Drobnič, Boštjan (author)

As the defence sector relies heavily on fossil fuels, interconnected on-site renewable energy and hydrogen hubs can enhance resilience while contributing to carbon neutrality for both energy systems and mobility. While existing studies highlight the benefits of energy hubs, a notable research gap remains regarding their application in the defence sector. This study presents a novel methodology incorporating defence-specific operational indicators such as self-sufficiency, self-utilisation, and autonomous operation. The methodology is applied to a military barracks in Kranj, Slovenia, with the objective of designing an on-site renewable energy hub which operates as a prosumer, with high resilience and autonomous operation capabilities. A detailed model-based analysis reveals the impact of key system components - batteries, fuel cells, electrolysers, and hydrogen storage – on energy autonomy, energy stability, operational resilience, and environmental impact. By simultaneously maximising resilience and sustainability, the study addresses key objectives for future defence energy systems.

• Language: English
• Keywords: energy hub, military site, energy resilience, green hydrogen, hydrogen mobility, parametric analysis
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 241, art. 155504
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182597
• UDC: 620.9:355
• ISSN on article: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.155504
• COBISS.SI-ID: 278542851
• Publication date in RUL: 18.05.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of hydrogen energy
• Shortened title: Int. j. hydrogen energy
• Publisher: Elsevier, Pergamon
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3338511

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: energetsko vozlišče, vojaška baza, energetska odpornost, zeleni vodik, vodikova mobilnost, parametrična analiza

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: Structural Reform Support Programme of the European Union
• Name: Defence RESilience Hub Network in Europe
• Acronym: RESHUB

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0401
• Name: Energetsko strojništvo