RESEARCH ARTICLE Hydrogen import pathway comparison framework incorporating cost and social preference: Case studies from Australia to Japan Andrew J. Chapman 1 | Timothy Fraser 2 | Kenshi Itaoka 1 1 International Institute for Carbon‐Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi‐ku, Fukuoka 819‐0395, Japan 2 Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Global Society, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi‐ku, Fukuoka 819‐0395, Japan Correspondence Andrew J. Chapman, International Institute for Carbon‐Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi‐ku, Fukuoka 819‐0395, Japan. Email: chapman@i2cner.kyushu‐u.ac.jp Summary Recent proposals to produce and import hydrogen from Australia to Japan for elec- tricity generation raise questions about how to compare the costs and feasibilities of different hydrogen import pathways. This paper establishes a framework for the comparison of technological, economic, and social costs and feasibility. The frame- work is then applied to 3 potential production and import case studies. First, a benchmark case study is considered which uses Australian brown coal from the Latrobe Valley combined with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. The second and third comparative case studies use renewable energy and electroly- sis near port facilities in Karratha, Western Australia, using solar power exclusively as the renewable energy source, and Gladstone, Queensland, using a combination of onshore wind and solar‐based generation. The study finds that comparative pilot project generation costs for the brown coal pathway are between approximately 5.9 and 15.4 yen/kWh cheaper than for solar and/or wind‐based pathways. However, limitations of scaling up CCS, a limited brown coal supply, long‐term reducing costs of renewables, and the prospect to develop complementary renewable infrastructure make a strong counterargument for investment in solar and wind pathways as an alternative to brown coal and CCS. KEYWORDS Australia, hydrogen, Japan, pathway, renewable energy 1 | INTRODUCTION Japan is heavily reliant on foreign fuel imports for its primary energy supply. 1 As such, they are the largest importer of coal from Australia, accounting for 34% of Australia's international coal exports, with a value of approximately 12 billion Australian dollars. 2 The value of these coal exports account for some 15% of Australia's total export income. 3 The economic and energy benefits enjoyed by each country demonstrate the scale and importance of this international trade relationship. In addition to coal and other fossil fuels, Australia is also rich in renewable energy (RE) potential, boasting extremely high solar irradiation levels compared to the global average, and high wind potential. 4 Renewables generate approximately 4.9% of all electricity nationwide and 29.4% and 35.2%, respectively, in the states of Victoria and South Australia. 5 For Japan, the transition to an energy supply system with a reduced level of CO 2 emissions is partially envisaged through the transition to hydrogen to meet a portion of future energy needs, particularly in the stationary generation and transportation sectors. 6 This transition could potentially be met by the production and transportation of hydrogen from Australia to Japan. Hydrogen could be sourced from fossil or renewable generation means, based on the feasibility of proposed pathways. The key aim of this paper is to establish the critical fac- tors that influence the costs and feasibility of hydrogen Received: 27 March 2017 Revised: 13 June 2017 Accepted: 13 June 2017 DOI: 10.1002/er.3807 Int J Energy Res. 2017;1–18. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/er 1