A hierarchical game-based price-demand-energy hub operation coordinated optimization strategy for near-carbon-neutral hydrogen industrial parks

Hydrogen energy industrial parks (HIPs) are key platforms for hydrogen development, yet face challenges in multi-agent coordination, benefit allocation, and carbon reduction. To address these issues, a hierarchical game-based strategy is proposed, integrating energy pricing, demand response, and energy hub (EH) operation for multi-dimensional, multi-agent coordination toward near-carbon-neutral operation. First, a daily net income model for energy aggregators (EAs) is developed, incorporating EH operation, pricing, and environmental benefits, alongside a user-side cost model based on demand response. Then, a Stackelberg game-based strategy is proposed for a single HIP to jointly optimize pricing, EH operation, and demand response, achieving multi-dimensional coordination by maximizing EA profits and minimizing user costs. Furthermore, a cooperative game-based strategy is proposed to minimize coalition costs through distributed optimization of hydrogen trading and EH operation, enabling coordinated operation among multiple aggregators, with privacy safeguarded. Case studies show the proposed hierarchical game improves EA net income by 4.2 % over Stackelberg-only and 14.5 % over cooperation-only strategies. The Stackelberg game reduces carbon emissions by 25.5 % compared to the no-game case, and emissions are further reduced to 50.9 % with cooperative gaming. In the case study, the proposed strategy achieves the lowest daily carbon intensity at 0.0143 kg CO2/kWh, approaching near-carbon-neutral operation.