Ibrahim M. Albayati

The transportation sector remains one of the largest contributors to global energy consumption and carbon emissions, particularly in rapidly urbanizing and emerging economies. This study presents an integrative review of intelligent technologies, system optimization approaches, and policy frameworks aimed at improving transportation energy efficiency, with a focused assessment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. By synthesizing evidence from peer-reviewed literature, international energy databases, and official policy documents, the study evaluates the roles of transport electrification, intelligent transport systems, artificial intelligence–based energy management, and regulatory support mechanisms. The analysis reveals that electrification alone delivers limited efficiency gains unless integrated with artificial intelligence–driven optimization tools such as predictive analytics, real-time traffic management, and coordinated energy–transport system control. Evidence from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia demonstrates notable progress in electric vehicle incentives, manufacturing strategies, and battery supply chain development, while highlighting persistent barriers including inadequate charging infrastructure, fragmented regulations, data limitations, and supply chain instability. The findings further emphasize that alternative fuels and system-level operational strategies remain essential complementary solutions. Unlike previous reviews that examine transport electrification, intelligent transport systems, artificial intelligence applications, or policy measures separately, this study develops an integrated analytical perspective that evaluates their combined influence on transportation energy efficiency. The principal contribution of the review is the development of a unified AI-enabled conceptual framework that positions artificial intelligence as the central coordinating layer linking vehicle technologies, transport operations, energy management systems, and policy instruments. By focusing on ASEAN economies while maintaining broader applicability to emerging regions, the framework provides strategic guidance for accelerating the transition toward intelligent, energy-efficient, and climate-resilient transportation systems.

The transition to net-zero energy systems requires operationally grounded decision-making frameworks that integrate technology performance, infrastructure readiness, and policy constraints at local scale. Food transportation represents a high-emission and operationally critical component of regional energy and supply chain systems, particularly in food-producing regions. This study proposes a preliminary Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) framework to support operational decision-making for the decarbonisation of food transportation, using Lincolnshire, UK, as a case study. The framework evaluates alternative freight transport technologies—battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCEVs), battery electric road systems (BERS), and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles—across energy efficiency, CO₂ emissions, infrastructure requirements, and cost implications. Secondary data from national statistics, regional planning documents, and peer-reviewed literature are analysed using comparative quantitative and qualitative assessment methods. Results indicate that BEVs currently offer the most energy-efficient and cost-effective solution for short-haul and last-mile food logistics, achieving overall efficiencies of approximately 77–82% with zero tailpipe emissions. HFCEVs and BERS present potential long-term operational advantages for heavy-duty and long-haul freight, but remain constrained by high infrastructure investment, energy conversion losses, and system-level costs. The findings highlight the importance of phased technology adoption, renewable energy integration, and infrastructure prioritisation to enable sustainable energy operations in freight transport systems. By embedding technology comparison within a place-based planning framework, this study contributes actionable insights for local authorities, logistics operators, and policymakers seeking to support operational decision-making in sustainable energy systems. The proposed LAEP framework is transferable to other food-producing regions aiming to decarbonise freight transportation while maintaining operational efficiency.

Hydrogen is emerging as a key energy carrier in the transition to a low-carbon economy. This study reviews blue and green hydrogen, analysing their production technologies, environmental impacts, economic viability and global deployment trends. Blue hydrogen, derived from natural gas, coal or biomass with carbon capture, utilisation and storage, offers a transitional pathway by reducing emissions relative to unabated fossil routes, but its benefits depend on high CO₂ capture efficiencies and strict methane leakage control. Green hydrogen, produced via renewable-powered electrolysis and advanced thermochemical, photochemical and photoelectrochemical methods, represents the most sustainable long-term solution, though it is currently limited by cost and scale. This comparative assessment shows that green hydrogen’s production emissions, in the range of 0.67 kgCO-eq/kgH to 1.74 kgCO₂-eq/kgH₂, are substantially lower than those of blue hydrogen, in the range of 1.21 kgCO₂-eq/kgH₂ to 4.56 kgCO₂-eq/kgH₂, reinforcing its alignment with climate neutrality goals. Global production remains below 1% from low-emission sources, yet momentum is growing, with renewable-rich regions investing in large-scale electrolysers. A long short-term memory forecast suggests that blue hydrogen will dominate in the short term, but green hydrogen will surpass it around 2042. Together, both pathways are essential, blue hydrogen as a bridging option and green hydrogen as the foundation of a sustainable hydrogen economy.

Approximately 20% of emissions from air travel are attributed to the auxiliary power units (APUs) carried in commercial aircraft. This paper proposes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in international air transport by adopting proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells to replace APUs in commercial aircraft: we consider the design of three compressed hydrogen storage vessels made of 304 stainless steel, 6061-T6 aluminium, and Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) titanium and capable of delivering 440 kW—enough for a PEM fuel cell for a Boeing 777. Complete structural analyses for pressures from 35 MPa to 70 MPa and wall thicknesses of 25, 50, 100, and 150 mm are used to determine the optimal material for aviation applications. Key factors such as deformation, safety factors, and Von Mises equivalent stress are evaluated to ensure structural integrity under a range of operating conditions. In addition, CO₂ emissions from a conventional 440 kW gas turbine APU and an equivalent PEM fuel cell are compared. This study provides insights into optimal material selection for compressed hydrogen storage vessels, emphasising safety, reliability, cost, and weight reduction. Ultimately, this research aims to facilitate the adoption of fuel cell technology in aviation, contributing to greenhouse emissions reduction and hence sustainable air transport.

A pragmatic approach for Local Area Energy Planning to capture Whole System interactions and meet the dual goals of informing regulated infrastructure requirements while informing businesses and local authorities on building their business plans, is presented. Unlike existing approaches, the method presented in this paper aids market change by considering policy requirements and prioritisation, commercial relationships, place-based resources, processes and interfaces, people (skills and vulnerabilities), and energy vector interdependencies, and focuses on spatially distributed economic segments (e.g., agriculture, food logistics, etc.). The methodology promotes co-location opportunities for symbiotic clusters to avoid growth in resource-constrained regions (e.g., grid capacity), and presents a temporal visualisation method that connects policy, regulation, infrastructure, technology, place, and people. To provide a case study to design, evolve, and test the methodology, the Greater Lincolnshire Region’s Economic Zone in the UK is selected; specifically, the logistics segment. Adopting this type of Whole System approach provides business planning clarity and stakeholder confidence to drive the adoption of new technologies. It also identifies where inward investment for strategic locations is needed and develops an evidence base for policy lobbying and influencing.

The power to weight ratio of power plants is an important consideration, especially in the design of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). In this paper, a UAS with an MTOW of 35.3 kg, equipped with a fuel cell as a prime power supply to provide electrical power to the propulsion system, is considered. A pressure vessel design that can estimate and determine the total size and weight of the combined power plant of a fuel cell stack with hydrogen and air/oxygen vessels and the propulsion system of the UAS for high-altitude operation is proposed. Two scenarios are adopted to determine the size and weight of the pressure vessels required to supply oxygen to the fuel cell stack. Different types of stainless-steel materials are used in the design of the pressure vessel in order to find an appropriate material that provides low size and weight advantages. Also, the design of a hydrogen pressure vessel and mass estimation are also considered. The estimated sizes and weights of the hydrogen and oxygen vessels of the power plant and propulsion system in this research offer a maximum of four hours of flying time for the UAS mission; this is based on a Horizon (H-1000) Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) stack.

The power to weight ratio of the power plant is an important consideration, especially in design of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). In this paper, a UAS with an MTOW of 35.3 kg, equipped with a fuel cell as a prime power supply to provide electrical power to the propulsion system is being considered. A pressure vessel design is proposed that can estimate and determine the total size and weight of the combined power-plant of a fuel cell stack with hydrogen and air/oxygen vessels and the propulsion system of the UAS for high altitude operation. Two scenarios are adopted in determining the size and weight of pressure vessels required to supply oxygen to the fuel cell stack. Different types of stainless-steel materials are used in the design of the pressure vessel in order to find an appropriate material that provides low size and weight advantages. Also, hydrogen pressure vessel design and mass estimation are also considered. The estimated sizes and weights of hydrogen and oxygen vessels of the power-plant and propulsion system in this research offers a maximum of four hours of flying time for the UAS mission; this is based on a Horizon (H-1000) PEM stack.