JP7840897B2 - Fuel material supply planning device, fuel material supply planning system, and fuel material supply planning method - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a fuel material supply planning device, a fuel material supply planning system, and a fuel material supply planning method.

As part of climate change countermeasures, hydrogen energy is attracting attention as a new clean energy source for decarbonization. In Japan, the goal is to introduce 3 million tons of hydrogen by 2030, and it is expected that the demand for hydrogen and other fuel materials will increase rapidly in the future.

As a hydrogen production plant, the production of hydrogen and other fuel materials using Power to Gas (P2G) is expected to address the shortage of adjustment capacity in the power grid resulting from the expansion of renewable energy introduction. In Japan, fuel material production and supply plants, so-called P2G plants, are trending toward larger scales. Therefore, it is anticipated that fuel materials will be delivered from a single fuel material production and supply plant to various fuel material consumers. In this case, since pipeline infrastructure is not yet fully developed in Japan, it is conceivable that fuel materials will be filled into trailers or cradles and transported by vehicle.

International Publication No. 2021/172224 Patent No. 6480276

In Japan, the primary means of transporting fuel materials is by vehicle. However, the balance between supply and demand for fuel materials is not always equal within the areas where delivery is possible. For example, there may be cases where the demand for fuel materials exceeds the supply capacity of a fuel material manufacturing and supply plant. In such situations, when manufacturing and supplying fuel materials to multiple customers, it is desirable for the fuel material manufacturing and supply plant to determine the amount to supply to each customer, as well as the fuel material price at that time. However, traditionally, this has required numerous adjustments and has not been easily achieved.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a fuel material supply planning device, a fuel material supply planning system, and a fuel material supply planning method that enable the supply of fuel materials to multiple fuel material consumers while considering their respective priorities.

To achieve the above objectives, the fuel material supply planning device according to this embodiment is a fuel material supply planning device that plans the supply of fuel materials to a plurality of fuel material consumers by a fuel material manufacturing and supply plant, and comprises: a consumer information acquisition unit that acquires consumer information which is information relating to a plurality of fuel material consumers; an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information which is information relating to the fuel material manufacturing and supply plant; a priority derivation unit that derives priorities for a plurality of fuel material consumers based on the consumer information; a planning calculation unit that calculates the production volume of the fuel material manufacturing and supply plant based on the consumer information and the operation information; and a fuel material supply planning unit that creates a supply plan to a plurality of fuel material consumers based on the production volume and the consumer information, wherein the consumer information includes, in addition to the fuel material demand, one of the following as additional information: the allowable delay amount for fuel material demand, the allowable number of days for fuel material demand, and the remaining amount in the fuel material consumer's storage tank, and the fuel material supply planning unit creates a supply plan which includes a price plan for each of the plurality of fuel material consumers based on the fuel material demand amount and the additional information .

This block diagram shows the relationship between the hydrogen supply planning system, the hydrogen production and supply plant, and the hydrogen consumer according to the first embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a hydrogen supply planning system according to the first embodiment. This is a flowchart showing the procedure of the hydrogen supply planning method according to the first embodiment. This is a first hydrogen consumer information table showing a first example of hydrogen consumer information acquired by a hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This is a second example of hydrogen consumer information acquired by the hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment, and shows a second hydrogen consumer information. This is a block diagram showing the state variables of a model in a hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This is a first hydrogen supply plan table showing a first example of a hydrogen supply plan using a hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This is a second hydrogen supply plan table showing a second example of a hydrogen supply plan using a hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This is a third hydrogen supply plan table showing a third example of a hydrogen supply plan using a hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This is a block diagram showing a modified example of the planning calculation unit in a hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This graph shows the dependence of the balance of the hydrogen supply planning system according to the first embodiment on the amount of hydrogen produced. This is a screen diagram showing a display image from the user interface of the hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This graph shows an example of the relationship between hydrogen price and tolerance used in a hydrogen supply planning device according to the second embodiment. This graph shows an example of the relationship between hydrogen demand and hydrogen price used in a hydrogen supply planning device according to the third embodiment.

The fuel material supply planning apparatus, fuel material supply planning system, and fuel material supply planning method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Here, parts that are identical or similar to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted. "Fuel material supply" refers to the supply of fuel materials, such as hydrogen gas or hydrogen-containing gas.

In the following, hydrogen is used as the fuel substance in the example. In the fuel substance supply planning apparatus, fuel substance supply planning system, and fuel substance supply planning method, the term "hydrogen" should be replaced with "fuel substance" below. Here, the fuel substance may be other than hydrogen, such as ammonia, methane, methanol, naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel (SAF), diesel fuel, heavy oil, ethanol, ethylene, LPG, or carbon monoxide. The ammonia may be obtained by converting hydrogen after hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, or hydrogen transport, or it may be ammonia produced using a device that directly produces ammonia from electricity instead of a hydrogen production device.

[First Embodiment]
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the hydrogen supply planning system 200, the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, the hydrogen transport equipment 16, and the hydrogen consumer 2 according to the first embodiment.

First, we will explain the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 that the hydrogen supply planning system 200 targets.

The hydrogen production and supply plant 10 includes a renewable energy power generation device 11, an internal busbar 12, a hydrogen production device 13, a hydrogen storage device 14, and a hydrogen supply device 15.

The renewable energy power generation device 11 is, for example, a solar power generation device or a wind power generation device, and supplies power to the internal busbar 12. The renewable energy power generation device 11 may also have a power conditioner ("PCS"), which is not shown. Here, the PCS takes the DC power generated by the renewable energy power generation device 11 as input and outputs AC power, and adjusts the level of the output AC power to a predetermined value below the input power level. Furthermore, the renewable energy power generation device 11 may also provide a separate adjustment function.

As shown by the solid line, the internal busbar 12 receives power from the renewable energy power generation device 11 and also exchanges power with the power grid 1. Furthermore, the internal busbar 12 supplies power to the hydrogen production device 13, the hydrogen storage device 14, and the hydrogen supply device 15.

The hydrogen production apparatus 13, as shown by the dashed line, receives water and electricity from the internal busbar 12 to generate hydrogen through the electrolysis of water.

The hydrogen storage device 14 is, for example, a storage tank that temporarily stores the hydrogen received from the hydrogen production device 13.

The hydrogen supply device 15 fills the hydrogen transport device 16 with hydrogen in order to supply hydrogen to the hydrogen consumer 2. The hydrogen supply device 15 includes, for example, a compressor.

Hydrogen consumer 2 is a general term encompassing multiple hydrogen consumers, including the first hydrogen consumer 2a to the nth hydrogen consumer 2n shown in Figure 1.

The hydrogen transport device 16 is, for example, a hydrogen cylinder loaded onto a train or a hydrogen transport vehicle. The hydrogen transport device 16 transports hydrogen to each of these multiple hydrogen consumers 2.

The hydrogen supply planning system 200 comprises a hydrogen supply planning device 100 and a hydrogen supply management device 210. The hydrogen supply planning device 100 creates a hydrogen supply plan for the supply of hydrogen to multiple hydrogen consumers 2 by the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, based on information about each hydrogen consumer 2 (consumer information) and information about the operation of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 (operational information). The hydrogen supply management device 210 coordinates the plan created by the hydrogen supply planning device 100 with the requests of the multiple consumers 2. Note that, in the following example, the hydrogen supply management device 210 is shown as being independently installed; however, the hydrogen supply planning device 100 may also include the functions of the hydrogen supply management device 210.

Information is exchanged between the hydrogen supply planning device 100 and the hydrogen supply management device 210. Information is also exchanged between the hydrogen supply planning device 100 and the hydrogen production and supply plant 10. Furthermore, information is exchanged between the hydrogen supply management device 210 and each hydrogen consumer 2 (from the first hydrogen consumer 2a to the nth hydrogen consumer 2n). The details of this information exchange will be explained later with reference to Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the hydrogen supply planning system 200 according to the first embodiment. As described above, the hydrogen supply planning system 200 includes a hydrogen supply planning device 100 and a hydrogen supply management device 210.

The hydrogen supply planning device 100, based on the acquired information regarding customer 2 (hereinafter referred to as "customer information") and the exchange of information with the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, creates a plan (hydrogen supply plan) for the supply of hydrogen to customer 2 by the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 and the hydrogen transport device 16.

The hydrogen supply management device 210 exchanges information with the customer 2, coordinates with the customer 2 based on the hydrogen supply plan set by the hydrogen supply planning device 100, and issues instructions to the hydrogen supply planning device 100 to change the conditions of the hydrogen supply plan based on the results of the coordination with the customer 2.

Here, the configuration of the hydrogen supply planning device 100 will be described. The hydrogen supply planning device 100 includes an input unit 111, a customer information acquisition unit 112, an operation information acquisition unit 113, a calculation unit 120, a storage unit 130, and a user interface 140.

The input unit 111 accepts external information such as condition values and constants (hereinafter referred to as "condition information") used in calculations performed by the calculation unit 120 as input.

The customer information acquisition unit 112 receives hydrogen customer information acquired by the hydrogen supply management device 210 from the hydrogen supply management device 210. Although not shown in Figure 1, the customer information acquisition unit 112 may also directly acquire hydrogen customer information from the hydrogen customer 2.

The operational information acquisition unit 113 acquires information (hereinafter referred to as "operational information") regarding the status of each part of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, as well as past performance, current status, and future plans related to the exchange of power with the power system 1.

The calculation unit 120 includes a priority derivation unit 121, a planning calculation unit 122, a cost calculation unit 123, a hydrogen supply planning unit 124, a hydrogen supply planning determination unit 125, and an image data generation unit 126.

The priority derivation unit 121 derives and determines the priority of each hydrogen consumer 2, i.e., the first hydrogen consumer 2a through the nth hydrogen consumer 2n, based on the hydrogen consumer information.

The planning calculation unit 122 calculates an operational plan, including the optimal production volume, based on hydrogen consumer information and operational information. Here, optimization may, for example, involve minimizing production costs.

The cost calculation unit 123 calculates the cost, taking into account other cost factors, based on the operational plan obtained as a result of the optimization performed by the planning calculation unit 122. Alternatively, instead of providing a cost calculation unit 123, the planning calculation unit 122 may use the cost that takes other cost factors into account during its calculations.

The hydrogen supply planning unit 124 creates a supply plan for each hydrogen consumer 2 based on the operational plan obtained as a result of optimization performed by the planning calculation unit 122, the costs obtained by the cost calculation unit 123, and the priorities within the hydrogen consumer 2 derived by the priority derivation unit 121.

The hydrogen supply plan determination unit 125 determines the supply plan to be implemented from among the multiple supply plan candidates obtained by the hydrogen supply plan unit 124.

The image data generation unit 126 creates screen data for the supply plan to be displayed on the user interface 140.

The memory unit 130 includes an input information memory unit 131, a hydrogen consumer information memory unit 132, and an operation information memory unit 133. The input information memory unit 131 stores conditional information acquired by the input unit 111, the hydrogen consumer information memory unit 132 stores hydrogen consumer information acquired by the consumer information acquisition unit 112, and the operation information memory unit 133 stores operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 113.

The user interface 140 displays an image of the supply plan based on screen data created by the image data generation unit 126. The user interface 140 includes a display unit for displaying various information to the user (administrator) and an input device for the user to input various information. The display unit is composed of, for example, a display. Alternatively, the display unit may be a touch panel that has both the function of a display screen and the function of an input device that allows direct input to the screen. The input device may be composed of, for example, a keyboard or mouse. The input device has an input screen that allows input of calculation conditions, etc., in a predetermined format, or an information exchange terminal such as a USB port. As mentioned above, the input function of the display unit may also be used.

The hydrogen supply planning system 100 may be, for example, a computer system, but it may also be a collection of individual devices.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the hydrogen supply planning method according to the first embodiment.

As described above, the procedure for the hydrogen supply planning method is a flow that includes the exchange of information between the hydrogen supply planning device 100 and the hydrogen supply management device 210 within the hydrogen supply planning system 200, as well as the exchange of information with the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 and the consumer 2.

First, the hydrogen supply management device 210 acquires information on hydrogen consumers 2, i.e., hydrogen consumer information (step S11). This acquires hydrogen consumer information including the scale of each hydrogen consumer 2's hydrogen demand, past purchase history, future demand plans, the capacity of their hydrogen storage equipment, conditions for hydrogen purchase, details of resale destinations (such as whether there are customers with urgent needs), details of hydrogen consumer 2's own production using hydrogen as a raw material, and, if possible, their credibility in the industry. The hydrogen consumer information is stored in the hydrogen consumer information storage unit 132.

The hydrogen supply management device 210 outputs hydrogen consumer information to the hydrogen supply planning device 100 (step S12), and the hydrogen supply planning device 100 acquires this hydrogen consumer information (step S21).

Meanwhile, the hydrogen supply planning device 100 acquires information regarding the operation plan of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, i.e., operational information (step S22). The operational information is stored in the operational information storage unit 133.

The priority derivation unit 121 derives the priority of each hydrogen consumer 2 based on the hydrogen consumer information obtained in step S21 (step S23).

Furthermore, the planning calculation unit 122 creates an operation plan (step S24) based on the hydrogen consumer information obtained in step S21 and the operation information acquired in step S22. Details of the calculation will be explained later.

Next, the cost calculation unit 123 calculates the operating cost based on the operating plan obtained in step S24 (step S25).

Next, the hydrogen supply planning unit 124 derives a hydrogen supply plan (step S26) based on the priority obtained in step S23, the operational plan including production volume obtained in step S24, and the operational cost obtained in step S25. The hydrogen supply plan determination unit 125 then selects the optimal plan from the supply plans obtained in step S26 and determines the hydrogen supply plan (step S27).

Next, the hydrogen supply management device 210, based on the hydrogen supply plan determined in step S27, confirms the supply conditions for each hydrogen consumer 2 in light of the hydrogen consumer information (step S13) and determines whether the supply conditions are met (step S14). While the hydrogen supply plan determined in step S27 may not necessarily fully satisfy the wishes of hydrogen consumer 2 as indicated in the hydrogen consumer information, the hydrogen supply management device 210 determines whether the difference from the hydrogen consumer 2's wishes is acceptable. In making this determination, the importance of each hydrogen consumer 2 and the long-term relationship with each hydrogen consumer 2, viewed from an overall perspective, are used as criteria.

If the hydrogen supply management device 210 determines that the supply conditions are met (step S14 YES), the hydrogen supply management device 210 presents the supply conditions to the hydrogen consumer 2 (step S15).

If the hydrogen supply management device 210 does not determine that the supply conditions are met (Step S14 NO), the hydrogen supply management device 210 determines whether to continue negotiations with the hydrogen consumer 2 (Step S16). When deciding whether to continue negotiations, the hydrogen supply management device 210 uses the importance of the hydrogen consumer 2 and the long-term relationship based on the hydrogen consumer information as criteria.

If the hydrogen supply management device 210 does not determine whether to continue negotiations with the hydrogen consumer 2 (step S16 NO), the hydrogen supply management device 210 notifies the hydrogen consumer 2 of the refusal, i.e., that hydrogen cannot be supplied (step S17).

If the hydrogen supply management device 210 determines whether to continue coordinating with the hydrogen consumer 2 (step S16 YES), the hydrogen supply management device 210 outputs change conditions regarding the hydrogen consumer 2 to the hydrogen supply planning device 100 (step S18). Here, the change conditions are the changes to the conditions related to the handling of the consumer 2, such as increasing the priority of the consumer or ensuring the minimum required amount of hydrogen for the consumer. The hydrogen supply planning device 100, upon receiving these change conditions, modifies the conditions regarding the hydrogen consumer 2 in step S21 and then repeats steps up to S27. Based on the results, the hydrogen supply management device 210 repeats the steps from step S13 onwards.

Next, the details of the priority derivation performed by the priority derivation unit 121 in step S23 will be explained.

Figure 4 is a first hydrogen consumer information table showing a first example of hydrogen consumer information acquired by the hydrogen supply planning system according to the first embodiment.

The hydrogen consumer information includes the hydrogen demand ( ^Nm³ ) for the target day, and additional information such as the allowable delay ( ^Nm³ ), the allowable delay in days, and the remaining tank volume ( ^Nm³ ). Additional information may also include actual hydrogen usage data. Furthermore, the remaining tank volume may be acquired at regular intervals or in real time.

Here, the target day is, for example, today, tomorrow, or possibly a later date. However, in the following explanation, these will be referred to as "today." Therefore, "tomorrow" means the day following "today." Hydrogen consumers 2 are shown as hydrogen consumers A, B, C, and D. Note that this hydrogen consumer information is not a constant value every day, but changes daily depending on the hydrogen consumer's situation. Therefore, Figure 4 shows the hydrogen consumer information for a particular day.

For each of the four items, the values for hydrogen consumers are as follows: Hydrogen consumer A: 1000 ( ^Nm³ ), 0 ( ^Nm³ ), 0 (day), 200 ( ^Nm³ ); Hydrogen consumer B: 5000 ( ^Nm³ ), 2000 ( ^Nm³ ), 1 (day), 1000 ( ^Nm³ ); Hydrogen consumer C: 10000 ( ^Nm³ ), 3000 ( ^Nm³ ), 2 (day), 3000 ( ^Nm³ ); Hydrogen consumer D: 7000 ( ^Nm³ ), 4000 ( ^Nm³ ), 1 (day), 2000 ( ^Nm³ ). As a result, the total hydrogen demand for the day is 23,000 ^Nm³ .

In this case, if the operational plan for the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, as a result of the calculations by the planning calculation unit 122, shows a daily hydrogen production amount of 20,000 ^Nm³ , it is not possible to supply all of the total hydrogen demand of 23,000 ^Nm³ . In such cases, it is necessary to determine the priority of each hydrogen consumer.

The first example of a criterion for determining the priority of each hydrogen consumer 2 is to determine priority in order of the amount of hydrogen demanded per day. According to this first criterion example, in the case of Figure 4, hydrogen consumer C has the highest priority, ranking 1st, while hydrogen consumer A has the lowest priority, ranking 4th.

The second example of criteria for determining the priority of each hydrogen consumer 2 is a method of determining priority according to the allowable delay amount and the allowable delay days. According to this second example, hydrogen consumer A, with a delay of 0 days, has the highest priority. Following this, among hydrogen consumers B and D, with an allowable delay of 1 day, hydrogen consumer B, with its lower allowable delay, has the second highest priority, hydrogen consumer D, with its higher allowable delay, has the third highest priority, and hydrogen consumer C, with an allowable delay of 2 days, has the fourth highest priority.

The third example of a criterion for determining the priority of each hydrogen consumer 2 is to determine priority in order of the lowest remaining tank volume for each hydrogen consumer 2. Alternatively, priority may be determined in order of the lowest ratio of remaining tank volume to hydrogen demand. The ratio of remaining tank volume to hydrogen demand is 20% for hydrogen consumer A, 20% for hydrogen consumer B, 30% for hydrogen consumer C, and 29% for hydrogen consumer D. In this case, considering the allowable delay amount and allowable delay days for hydrogen consumers A and B, hydrogen consumer A would be ranked 1st, hydrogen consumer B 2nd, hydrogen consumer D 3rd, and hydrogen consumer C 4th.

Here, we determined the priority ranking for each hydrogen consumer 2, but it would also be acceptable to determine the priority ranking based on the amount of hydrogen obtained by dividing the hydrogen demand of each hydrogen consumer 2.

Figure 5 shows a second example of hydrogen consumer information acquired by the hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the hydrogen demand of hydrogen consumer 2 is divided as hydrogen consumer information. In the case of Figure 5, the hydrogen demand of hydrogen consumers B, C, and D is divided into those for which a delay is acceptable and those for which it is not, and based on this information, the order of hydrogen demand of hydrogen consumer 2 is determined for the divided hydrogen amounts. Specifically, hydrogen consumer B is divided into B1 of 3000 Nm³ and ^B2 of 2000 ^m³ which allows a 1-day delay. Hydrogen consumer C is divided into C1 of 7000 ^Nm³ and C2 of 3000 ^m³ which allows a 2-day delay. Hydrogen consumer D is divided into D1 of 3000 ^Nm³ and D2 of 4000 ^m³ which allows a 1-day delay. Each of the divided portions, for example B1, will be referred to as hydrogen consumer B1.

Here, the priority derivation unit 121 derives a priority by considering the total number of days the delay can be completed, the remaining tank volume, and the hydrogen demand for each hydrogen consumer 2. As a result, the priority derivation unit 121 might assign, for example, that hydrogen consumers A, B1, C1, and D1 are ranked 1st, hydrogen consumer B2 is ranked 2nd, and hydrogen consumer D2 is ranked 3rd.

Note that ties in priority ranking are permitted. Furthermore, instead of determining the ranking of each hydrogen consumer 2, a weighting coefficient may be used as the priority. Additionally, if the hydrogen consumer information includes priority information for hydrogen consumer 2, this priority may be used as is. If the hydrogen consumer information includes contract information with each hydrogen consumer (long-term contract, short-term contract, etc.), this contract information may be used to determine the priority.

Next, the details of the operational plan performed by the planning calculation unit 122 in step S24 will be explained.

This explanation will take the example of a case where the operational plan is formulated using mathematical optimization techniques as the operational plan calculation unit 122.

Mathematical optimization techniques model plant operation using an objective function and optimization variables, and then seek the operation that minimizes the objective function. Below, the mathematical optimization model of the optimization calculation performed by the planning unit 122 is shown, in the order of optimization variables, constants, constraint equations, and objective function.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the state variables of the model in the hydrogen supply planning device 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 shows the state variables related to the balance of electricity, hydrogen, and water among the various state variables.

Power is shown by a solid line, with the predicted power generation value (kW) of the renewable energy power generation device 11 being represented by X _PV (t), the power received from power system 1 by the internal busbar 12 (kW) being represented by X _ELIN (t), the power sold to power system 1 by the internal busbar 12 (kW) being represented by X _ELOUT (t), the power consumption of the hydrogen production device 13 (kW) being represented by X _ECEL (t), the power consumption of the hydrogen storage device 14 (kW) being represented by X _TANK (t), and the power consumption of the hydrogen supply device 15 (kW) being represented by X _SUPPLY (t).

Furthermore, regarding hydrogen, the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production device 13 ( ^Nm³ ) is represented as X _ECH2 (t), the amount stored in the hydrogen storage tank device 14 ( ^Nm³ ) is represented as X _H2ST (t), the amount of hydrogen supplied by the hydrogen supply device 15 ( ^Nm³ ) is represented as X _H2OUT (t), and the amount of hydrogen transported daily by the hydrogen transport device 16 ( ^Nm³ ) is represented as X _H2OUT (d). Although not shown in the diagram, the daily hydrogen supply deficit by the hydrogen transport device 16 ( ^Nm³ ) is represented as X _H2PENA (d).

Furthermore, the amount of water used by the hydrogen production device 13 ( ^m³ ) is expressed as X _ECWA (t).

The above variables are the optimization variables (with a lower limit of 0 and an upper limit of ∞) that are subject to optimization calculations by the planning calculation unit 122.

Next, the constants used in the optimization calculation are as follows. Note that some constants are time-dependent, meaning their values change depending on the time of day.

t: time, T: set of calculation time (t is an element of set T), d: day, D: set of calculation days (d is an element of set D), C _{ELIN_COST} (t): cost per unit of electricity received, C _{ELOUT_COST} (t): cost per unit of electricity sold, C _WACOST (t): cost per unit of water purchased, C _H2PENA : hydrogen supply penalty per unit, C _H2OUT (d): daily hydrogen demand, C _{ECGAS_EF} : electrolysis efficiency of hydrogen production equipment ( ^Nm³ /kWh), C _{GAS_WA_EF} : water usage efficiency of hydrogen production equipment ( ^m³ / ^Nm³ ), C _{ECEL_LL} : minimum power of hydrogen production equipment (kW), C _{ECEL_UL} : maximum power of hydrogen production equipment (kW), C _{H2ST_LL} : minimum storage capacity of hydrogen storage tank ( ^Nm³ ), C _{H2ST_UL} : Hydrogen storage tank maximum storage capacity ( ^Nm³ ), C _{ELIN_UL} : Hydrogen production and supply plant contracted power (kW), C _{PV_UL} : Renewable energy power generation rating of renewable energy power generation device 11 (kW), C _{H2_UL} : Daily hydrogen production limit ( ^Nm³ ), C _Operation (t): Hydrogen production and supply plant operation flag (0: stopped, 1: running).

Next, the constraint equations used by the planning calculation unit 122 in the optimization calculation are shown. The constraints include those related to the power supply and demand balance, hydrogen production equipment, and hydrogen storage, as follows.

<Constraints related to the balance of electricity supply and demand>
X _ECIN (t)-X _ECOUT (t)=X _ECEL (t)+X _TANK (t)+X _SUPPLY (t)-X _PV (t)

X _ELIN (t)≦C _{ELIN_UL}

X _PV (t)≦C _{PV_UL}

<Constraints related to hydrogen production equipment>
X _ECH2 (t)=X _ECEL (t)×C _Ooeration (t)×C _ECGASEF

X _ECH2 (t)≦C _{H2_UL}

X _ECEL (t)≧C _{ECEL_LL}

X _ECEL (t)≦C _{ECEL_UL}

X _ECWA (t)=X _ECH2 (t)×C _{GAS_WA_EF}

<Constraints related to hydrogen storage>
X _H2ST (t)=X _H2ST (t-1)+X _ECH2 (t)+X _H2OUT (t)

X _H2ST (t)≧C _{H2ST_LL}

X _H2ST (t)≦C _{H2ST_UL}

<Constraints related to hydrogen supply>
Σ(X _H2OUT (t))≧C _H2OUT (d)-X _H2PENA (d)
Here, Σ is the sum over time t belonging to the set of time points T being calculated.

<Purpose Discount>
Minimize the following objective function OBj.

OBj=Σ[X _ELIN (t)×C _{ELIN_COST} (t)-X _ELOUT (t)×C _{ELOUT_COST} (t)+X _ECWA (t)×C _WACOST (t)]+X _H2PENA (d)×C _H2PENA
Here, Σ is the sum over time t belonging to the set of time points T being calculated.

In the constraints related to hydrogen supply, a variable representing the hydrogen supply shortage is introduced and considered as a penalty term in the objective function. This avoids the situation where an optimization solution cannot be found due to constraint violation, even when hydrogen demand exceeds hydrogen supply capacity.

By solving the mathematical model described above, we can find the values of the optimization variables that minimize the objective function and formulate an operational plan for the hydrogen production and supply plant. Furthermore, by removing the effect of the penalty term from the objective function, it becomes possible to calculate the operating costs of the hydrogen production and supply plant.

Next, an example of cost calculation performed by the cost calculation unit 123 in step S25 will be explained.

The cost calculation unit 123 calculates the operating cost of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 based on the operational plan of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 calculated by the planning calculation unit 122 in step S24, using the received power, sold power, hydrogen production sales revenue, water consumption, etc. By dividing this operating cost by the total amount of hydrogen produced, the operating cost (production cost) of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 per ¹ Nm³ of hydrogen production can be calculated.

For example, in the operational plan for hydrogen production and supply plant 10, if the production volume is 20,000 ^Nm³ and the total hydrogen production cost is 400,000 yen, the hydrogen production cost would be 20 yen/ ^Nm³ . In addition to operating costs, capital investment may also be considered. Depreciation costs for equipment may also be considered, and the cost converted to a daily rate may be added to the operating costs to calculate the hydrogen production cost. Furthermore, if there are subsidies for hydrogen production and sales, those subsidies may be added to the operating costs to calculate the hydrogen production cost.

Next, the details of the hydrogen supply plan by the hydrogen supply planning unit 124 in step S26 will be explained.

The hydrogen supply planning unit 124 formulates a hydrogen supply plan by considering the operation plan of the hydrogen production and supply plant, including the production volume calculated by the planning calculation unit 122, the hydrogen production cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 123, and the priority of each hydrogen consumer 2 calculated by the priority derivation unit 121. Here, it is assumed that the production volume for the day is 20,000 ^Nm³ as a result of the optimal calculation by the planning calculation unit 122.

Figure 7 is a first hydrogen supply plan table showing a first example of a hydrogen supply plan by the hydrogen supply planning device 100 according to the first embodiment. This first example corresponds to the case of the first hydrogen consumer information table in Figure 4, which was referenced in the explanation of the priority derivation performed by the priority derivation unit 121 in step S23. Based on the second or third example of the criteria for determining the priority of each hydrogen consumer 2 described above, hydrogen consumer A would be ranked 1st, hydrogen consumer B 2nd, hydrogen consumer D 3rd, and hydrogen consumer C 4th.

Figure 7 shows an example of a hydrogen supply plan by the hydrogen supply planning unit 124 in this case. Specifically, in the hydrogen supply plan by the hydrogen supply planning unit 124, on that day, hydrogen consumer A will receive 1000 ^Nm³ (100 yen/ ^Nm³ ), hydrogen consumer B will receive 5000 ^Nm³ (70 yen/ ^Nm³ ), hydrogen consumer C will receive 7000 ^Nm³ (50 yen/ ^Nm³ ), and hydrogen consumer D will receive 7000 ^Nm³ (60 yen/ ^Nm³ ). Furthermore, one day later, hydrogen consumer C will receive 3000 ^Nm³ (30 yen/ ^Nm³ ).

The first example of a hydrogen supply plan by the hydrogen supply planning unit 124 is the result of the following adjustments made by the hydrogen supply planning unit 124.

For hydrogen consumer C, who has the lowest priority, it is not possible to supply the full amount of hydrogen they require. Therefore, the plan is to supply a portion of the remaining amount one day later.

Regarding hydrogen pricing, as shown in Figure 7, the price may be varied according to hydrogen demand. In Figure 7, the price is higher for hydrogen consumers with low demand and lower for hydrogen consumers with high demand. Furthermore, the price is set even lower for hydrogen carried over to the next day.

Regarding the determination of hydrogen prices, for example, a base price of 20 ^Nm³ / ^Nm³ for hydrogen production may be used, with a certain profit added to it. Alternatively, the amount of profit added may be changed according to the hydrogen demand. Furthermore, the profit added may be changed according to the distance between the hydrogen production and supply plant and each hydrogen consumer 2. In addition, if information on the baseline hydrogen price for each hydrogen consumer 2 is available in advance, the hydrogen price for the hydrogen supply plan may be determined based on the hydrogen production cost and the baseline hydrogen price for each hydrogen consumer 2.

Furthermore, if the amount of electricity generated by the renewable energy power generation device 11 is extremely low, the contracted power of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 may result in a planned daily hydrogen production amount that falls to, for example, 10,000 ^Nm³ . In this case, the hydrogen supply plan may be formulated not only for the next day but also for the following days and beyond.

Next, we will explain the case corresponding to the second hydrogen consumer information table in Figure 5, which was referenced in the explanation of the priority derivation performed by the priority derivation unit 121 in step S23.

At this time, hydrogen consumers A, B1, C1, and D1 cannot delay hydrogen supply, while their combined hydrogen demand is 14,000 ^Nm³ , exceeding the daily hydrogen production capacity of 10,000 ^Nm³ . One method of hydrogen supply planning is to distribute the 4,000 ^Nm³ that cannot be produced as the amount that cannot be supplied to each hydrogen consumer 2 in proportion to their demand. Another method is to distribute the amount that cannot be supplied based on the ratio of the remaining tank volume to the hydrogen demand. Furthermore, a third method is to give up supplying to any of the hydrogen consumers 2.

Figure 8 is a second hydrogen supply plan table showing a second example of a hydrogen supply plan using the hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. This second example is an example of a hydrogen supply plan in the third method described above, i.e., a case where supply to one of the hydrogen consumers is abandoned.

For the current day's hydrogen supply, priority will be given to hydrogen consumers C1 and D1, who have high demand. Hydrogen consumers A and B1, who could not be supplied on the day, will be supplied one day later. As compensation for this one-day delay, the price of hydrogen will be set lower than if it were supplied on the same day. Following this, hydrogen will be supplied to hydrogen consumers B2 and D2 based on priority, and then to hydrogen consumer C2 two days later.

Here, we have shown an example of setting a lower hydrogen price in response to delays in hydrogen supply, but this is not the only option. Setting a lower hydrogen price is equivalent to a penalty for the hydrogen production and supply plant 10. Alternatively, for example, compensation (incentives) could be provided to each hydrogen consumer 2. Points could also be awarded to prioritize future hydrogen supplies. Furthermore, the extent of these penalties, incentives, and points may be adjusted according to the amount and duration of the hydrogen supply delay.

Here, it is conceivable that the hydrogen consumer information acquired by the hydrogen consumer information acquisition unit includes information on the minimum required hydrogen demand and the upper limit of the hydrogen price. In this case, the hydrogen supply planning unit 124 may formulate the hydrogen supply plan by considering the minimum required hydrogen amount and the upper limit of the hydrogen price as constraints.

Figure 9 is a third hydrogen supply plan table showing a third example of a hydrogen supply plan using the hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment.

Figure 9 shows a scenario where all hydrogen demand can be produced on the same day. The hydrogen price is gradually changed according to the amount of hydrogen supplied to each hydrogen consumer 2. The threshold for the gradually changing hydrogen amount may be pre-set as a percentage parameter relative to the hydrogen demand.

Furthermore, even if the hydrogen consumer information provided by the planning calculation unit 122 is only for three days, the operational information acquisition unit 113 may acquire one week's worth of renewable energy forecasts and electricity price information, and then formulate an operational plan for the fourth day and beyond. In this case, the hydrogen consumer information for the fourth day and beyond may be formulated using provisional values, such as the average value of the three days or the value for a representative day.

The above explanation uses the example of the planning unit 122 formulating an operational plan using mathematical optimization techniques, but it is not limited to this. For example, the operational plan may be formulated using machine learning.

Figure 10 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the planning calculation unit 122 in the hydrogen supply planning device 100 according to the first embodiment.

When developing an operational plan using machine learning, the planning calculation unit 122 consists of an operational plan model learning unit 122a and an operational plan estimation unit 122b.

The operational plan model learning unit 122a learns an operational plan model, for example, one that reduces operational costs, using past operational information of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 and the proposed operational plan. The learning method can utilize, for example, neural networks, random forests, or reinforcement learning.

The operational plan estimation unit 122b uses the learned operational plan model to estimate an operational plan that reduces operational costs.

Figure 11 is a graph showing the dependence of the balance of the hydrogen supply planning device 100 according to the first embodiment on the amount of hydrogen produced. The hydrogen supply planning unit 125 will be explained with reference to Figure 11.

Figure 11 shows an example of the change in balance when multiple conditions for the daily hydrogen production amount are changed. The conditions for the daily hydrogen production amount are changed based on the total hydrogen demand of each hydrogen consumer 2, and this is considered as an upper limit constraint on the hydrogen production amount in the operation plan of the hydrogen production supply plant by the planning calculation unit 122. In other words, the upper limit constraint on the hydrogen production amount is changed, and steps S21 to S26 are executed, respectively.

Based on the results shown in Figure 11, which calculates the balance of revenue and expenditure for each hydrogen supply plan, the hydrogen supply plan determination unit 125 selects the hydrogen supply plan that yields the largest balance, i.e., the hydrogen supply plan that generates the greatest profit.

Furthermore, the conditions for modification are not limited to the amount of hydrogen produced. Other conditions related to the operation of the hydrogen production and supply plant, such as the upper limit of the received power or the operating hours of the hydrogen production and supply plant, may also be considered.

Figure 12 is a screen diagram 136a showing a display image from the user interface 140 of the hydrogen supply planning device according to the first embodiment. The image data for the display image 126a is generated by the image data generation unit 126. The user interface 140 is, for example, a user interface having a touchscreen.

Under the title "Hydrogen Production and Supply Plant," a conceptual diagram showing the hydrogen production equipment and hydrogen transport equipment, a table displaying hydrogen consumer information, and a table showing the hydrogen supply plan are displayed.

Below the table, "Hydrogen Supply Plan Agreement" and "Hydrogen Demand Information Modification" are displayed. Touching "Hydrogen Demand Information Modification" allows you to change, for example, the numerical value in the priority column of the table showing hydrogen demand information. Note that conditions other than priority may be input as calculation conditions (calculation conditions) in the calculation unit.

As described above, the hydrogen supply planning device 100 of this embodiment makes it possible to determine the amount of hydrogen to be supplied to each hydrogen consumer 2 and the price of hydrogen when the hydrogen demand exceeds the supply capacity of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10. Furthermore, the hydrogen supply management device 210 allows for coordination between the hydrogen supply plan developed by the hydrogen supply planning device 100 and each hydrogen consumer 2.

[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment is a variation of the first embodiment, but it is an example that uses the relationship between hydrogen price and tolerance.

Figure 13 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between hydrogen price and tolerance used in the hydrogen supply planning device 100 according to the second embodiment. The planning calculation unit 122 in the second embodiment uses this information to determine the hydrogen price, for example, by mathematical optimization as described below.

First, the constants and variables used in the hydrogen price determination calculation are as follows:

<Constants>
i: Set of hydrogen consumers, q(i): Weighting coefficients of hydrogen consumers

<Optimization Variables>
X _H2COST (t): Hydrogen price for customer i (yen/ ^Nm³ ), X _ALLOW (i): Acceptance rate for customer i (%)

<Function>
f(i, X): A function that calculates the tolerance level from the hydrogen price X of hydrogen consumer i.

<Constraint expression>
X _ALLOW (i)=f(i,X _H2COST (i))

The following constraint equation is used when unifying the hydrogen price for each hydrogen consumer 2.
X _H2COST (1)=...=X _H2COST (I)

<Purpose Discount>
We aim to maximize the following objective function OBJ.
OBJ=Σ[X _H2COST (i)+q(i)×X _ALLOW (i)]

By using the objective function in equation (16), we maximize the hydrogen price for each hydrogen consumer 2 while simultaneously maximizing their tolerance. In this case, each hydrogen consumer 2 is weighted according to their tolerance. If tolerance is a priority, this can be addressed by increasing the weight of all hydrogen consumers 2. Furthermore, if differences in hydrogen price or tolerance arise among the hydrogen consumers 2, fairness can be maintained by facilitating exchanges of incentives among them.

[Third Embodiment]
This embodiment is a variation of the first embodiment, differing from the first embodiment in that it uses the dependence of hydrogen prices on hydrogen demand.

Figure 14 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between hydrogen demand and hydrogen price used in the hydrogen supply planning system according to the third embodiment. The horizontal axis represents hydrogen demand [ ^Nm³ ], and the vertical axis represents hydrogen price [yen/ ^Nm³ ].

In this embodiment, the planning calculation unit 122 uses this information to determine the price of hydrogen, for example, by mathematical optimization as described below.

<Constants>
t: time, T: set of calculation time (t is an element of set T), d: day, D: set of calculation days (d is an element of set D), i: hydrogen consumers, I: set of hydrogen consumers (i is an element of set I), C _{ELIN_COST} (t): cost of electricity received (yen/kW), C _{ELOUT_COST} (t): cost of electricity sold (yen/kW), C _WACOST (t): cost of water purchased (yen/ ^Nm³ ), C _H2PENA : hydrogen supply penalty unit price (yen/ ^Nm³ ), C _H2OUT (d): daily hydrogen demand ( ^Nm³ /d), C _{ECGAS_EF} : electrolysis efficiency of hydrogen production equipment ( ^Nm³ /kWh), C _{GAS_WA_EF} : water usage efficiency of hydrogen production equipment ( ^m³ / ^Nm³ ), C _{ECEL_LL} : Minimum power of hydrogen production equipment (kW), C _{ECEL_UL} : Maximum power of hydrogen production equipment (kW), C _{H2ST_LL} : Minimum storage capacity of hydrogen storage tank ( ^Nm³ ), C _{H2ST_UL} : Maximum storage capacity of hydrogen storage tank ( ^Nm³ ), C _{ELIN_UL} : Contracted power of hydrogen production supply plant (kW), C _{PV_UL} : Renewable energy generation power rating (kW), C _DEMANDPENA (i): Hydrogen supply penalty unit price for hydrogen consumer i (yen/ ^Nm³ )

<Optimization Variables>
The lower bound of the following optimization variables is 0, and the upper bound is infinity.
X _ELIN (t): Received power (kW), X _ELOUT (t): Sold power (kW), X _ECEL (t): Hydrogen production equipment power consumption (kW), X _ECWA (t): Hydrogen production equipment water usage ( ^m³ ), X _ECH2 (t): Hydrogen production equipment hydrogen production volume ( ^Nm³ ), X _H2ST (t): Hydrogen storage tank storage volume ( ^Nm³ ), X _H2OUT (t): Hydrogen supply volume ( ^Nm³ ), X _PV (t): Renewable energy power generation forecast value (kW), X _TANK (t): Hydrogen storage equipment power consumption (kW), X _SUPPLY (t): Hydrogen supply equipment power consumption (kW), X _H2PENA (d): Daily hydrogen supply shortage ( ^Nm³ ), X _PLANT (t): Cost of hydrogen production and supply plant (yen), X _DEMAND (i, t): Cost for hydrogen consumer i (yen), X _DEMANDCOST (i, t): Hydrogen price for hydrogen consumer i (yen/ ^Nm³ ), X _DEMANDIN (i, t): Amount of hydrogen supplied to hydrogen consumer i ( ^Nm³ ), X _DEMANDPENA (i, d): Daily hydrogen supply deficit to hydrogen consumer i ( ^Nm³ )

<Function>
f _DEMAND (i, d, X): A function that calculates the hydrogen supply price from the hydrogen demand X of hydrogen consumer i on day d.

<Cost-related constraints>
X _PLANT (t) = X _ELIN (t) × C _{ELIN_COST} (t) - X _ELOUT (t) × C _{ELOUT_COST} (t) + X _ECWA (t) × C _WACOST (t)

X _DEMAND (i, t)=X _DEMANDIN (i, t)×f _DEMAND (i, d, X _DEMANDIN (i, t))

<Constraint equations related to the balance of electricity supply and demand>
X _ECI N(t)-X _ECOUT (t)=X _ECEL (t)+X _TANK (t)+X _SUPPLY (t)-X _PV (t)

X _ECI N(t)≦C _{ELIN_UL}

X _PV (t)≦C _{PV_UL}

<Constraint equations related to hydrogen production equipment>
X _EC2 (t)=X _ECEL (t)×C _{ECGAS_EF}

X _ECEL (t)≧C _{ECEL_LL}

X _ECEL (t)≦C _{ECEL_UL}

XECWA(t)=X _ECH2 (t)×C _{GAS_WA_EF}

<Constraint equations related to hydrogen storage devices>
X _H2ST (t)=X _H2ST (t-1)+X _ECH2 (t)+X _2OUT (t)

X _H2ST (t)≧C _{H2ST_LL}

X _H2ST (t)≦C _{H2ST_UL}

<Constraint equations related to hydrogen supply equipment>
Σ[X _H2OUT (t)]≧C _H2OUT (d)-X ^H2PENA (d)

Here, Σ represents the sum of elements t belonging to set d (where t is an element of set d).

<Constraint equations related to supply and demand with hydrogen consumers>

<Purpose Discount>
Under the above conditions, we minimize the following objective function OBJ.

In this objective function OBJ, in addition to the cost of the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 and the penalty term due to supply shortages at the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, the costs of each hydrogen consumer 2 and the penalty terms due to supply shortages to each hydrogen consumer 2 are also considered. By considering the cost of each hydrogen consumer 2 in the evaluation function, it becomes possible to optimize not only the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 but also the hydrogen price for each hydrogen consumer 2. Furthermore, the hydrogen supply penalty unit price for each hydrogen consumer 2 can be determined, for example, if hydrogen consumer 2 is a factory, from the losses incurred due to the shutdown of the production line caused by hydrogen supply shortages.

The constraints consider the supply-demand balance with each hydrogen consumer. The constraints stipulate that the total amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 equals the total amount of hydrogen supplied to each hydrogen consumer, and that the total amount of hydrogen supply shortages at the hydrogen production and supply plant 10 equals the total amount of hydrogen supply shortages at each hydrogen consumer.

By solving the optimization problem described above, the values of the optimization variables that minimize the objective function can be determined. This makes it possible to formulate a hydrogen supply plan that includes not only the operational plan for the hydrogen production and supply plant 10, but also the amount of hydrogen supplied to each hydrogen consumer 2 and the hydrogen price. Furthermore, if there are differences in the amount of hydrogen supplied or the hydrogen price among the hydrogen consumers 2, fairness can be maintained by exchanging incentives among them.

As described above, the embodiments make it possible to provide a hydrogen supply planning device and a hydrogen supply planning method that enable hydrogen supply considering the respective priorities in response to hydrogen demand.

[Other Embodiments]
Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the features of each embodiment may be combined. Moreover, the embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

1…Power grid, 2…Hydrogen consumers, 2a…First hydrogen consumer, 2n…nth hydrogen consumer, 10…Hydrogen production and supply plant, 11…Renewable energy power generation equipment, 12…In-house busbar, 13…Hydrogen production equipment, 14…Hydrogen storage equipment, 15…Hydrogen supply equipment, 16…Hydrogen transport equipment, 100…Hydrogen supply planning equipment, 111…Input unit, 112…Hydrogen consumer information acquisition unit, 113…Operation information acquisition unit, 120…Calculation unit, 121…Priority derivation unit, 122…Planning calculation unit, 123…Cost calculation unit, 124…Hydrogen supply planning unit, 125…Hydrogen supply plan determination unit, 126…Image data generation unit, 130…Storage unit, 131…Input information storage unit, 132…Hydrogen consumer information storage unit, 133…Operation information storage unit, 140…User interface, 200…Hydrogen supply planning system, 210…Hydrogen supply management equipment

Claims (9)

A fuel material supply planning device that plans the supply of fuel materials to multiple fuel material consumers by a fuel material manufacturing and supply plant,
A customer information acquisition unit acquires customer information, which is information relating to multiple fuel material consumers,
An operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information, which is information relating to the fuel material manufacturing and supply plant,
A priority derivation unit that derives a priority for a plurality of fuel material consumers based on the aforementioned consumer information,
A planning calculation unit calculates the production volume of the fuel material manufacturing and supply plant based on the aforementioned customer information and operational information,
The system includes a fuel material supply planning unit that creates a supply plan to a plurality of fuel material consumers based on the production volume and consumer information,
The aforementioned customer information includes, in addition to the amount of fuel material demand, one of the following as additional information: the allowable delay amount for fuel material demand, the allowable number of days for fuel material demand delay, or the remaining amount in the fuel material customer's storage tank.
The fuel material supply planning unit creates a supply plan that includes a price plan for each of the multiple fuel material consumers, based on the fuel material demand and the additional information.
A fuel material supply planning device characterized by the following. The fuel material supply planning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the priority derivation unit uses the ranking of the multiple fuel material consumers, or the respective weighting coefficients of the multiple fuel material consumers. The fuel material supply planning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the priority derivation unit derives a priority for the fuel material demand obtained by dividing the fuel material demand of each of the multiple fuel material consumers into multiple parts. The fuel supply planning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the planning calculation unit performs calculations using the relationship between the tolerance levels of multiple fuel material consumers for fuel material prices. The fuel supply planning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the planning calculation unit performs calculations using the relationship between the fuel material price and the fuel material demand of a plurality of fuel material consumers. The fuel material supply planning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fuel material supply planning determination unit that determines the case with the greatest profit by varying the production volume. A user interface having a display unit for displaying the supply plan and an input unit for inputting calculation conditions for any of the priority derivation unit, the planning calculation unit, or the fuel material supply plan unit,
An image data generation unit that creates image data to be displayed on the user interface,
The fuel material supply planning device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising: A fuel material supply planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
A fuel material supply management device that exchanges information with multiple fuel material consumers and with the fuel material supply planning device, and coordinates the requests of the fuel material consumers with the supply plan by the fuel material supply planning device,
It is equipped with,
The customer information acquisition unit also acquires the customer information from the fuel material supply management device.
A fuel material supply planning system characterized by the following: A fuel material supply planning method for planning the supply of fuel materials to multiple fuel material consumers by a fuel material manufacturing and supply plant,
The customer information acquisition unit acquires customer information, which is information relating to multiple fuel material customers.
The operational information acquisition unit acquires operational information, which is information relating to the fuel material manufacturing and supply plant.
The priority derivation unit derives priorities for a plurality of fuel material consumers based on the consumer information,
The planning calculation unit calculates the production volume of the fuel material manufacturing and supply plant based on the customer information and the operational information,
The fuel material supply planning unit has the step of creating a supply plan to a plurality of fuel material consumers based on the production volume and the consumer information,
The aforementioned customer information includes, in addition to the amount of fuel material demand, one of the following as additional information: the allowable delay amount for fuel material demand, the allowable number of days for fuel material demand delay, or the remaining amount in the fuel material customer's storage tank.
The step of creating the supply plan is to create a supply plan that includes a price plan for each of the multiple fuel material consumers, based on the fuel material demand and the additional information.
A fuel material supply planning method characterized by the following .