Researchers have developed a framework to guide temporary petrol station closures during safety crises, with Ukrainian and UK academics creating decision-support tools to protect urban infrastructure from potential threats.
The study, featured in the European Journal of Operational Research, examines petrol station vulnerabilities and the extensive ramifications of possible incidents, spanning environmental harm, financial losses, social upheaval, and fatalities.
Professor Dylan Jones from the University of Portsmouth’s Faculty of Technology and Dr Oleksii Ivanov from Odesa Polytechnic National University (OPNU) spearheaded the research, creating sophisticated decision-support algorithms to determine when station closures should be implemented. Their model evaluates incident severity against broader sustainability implications through an advanced scoring and ranking system.
The research, grounded in multiple criteria decision-making methodology, establishes a vulnerability index that places human life as the paramount consideration. It also presents a goal programming methodology for recommending temporary station closures, balancing public inconvenience minimisation with safety assurance.
“In an age where infrastructure has become a target as much as a utility, we need better tools to guide the difficult decisions about what stays open and what closes during a crisis,” Professor Jones explained.
Portsmouth, a heavily populated island city on England’s southern coastline, served as the case study location owing to its limited geography and infrastructure concentration. Whilst no immediate threat exists to the city, researchers emphasise the methodology targets regions confronting serious dangers from military action, terrorism, or severe weather conditions.
Dr Ivanov’s research contributions recently earned recognition through a distinguished academic honour from the Ukrainian Parliament, underlining the international importance of this work.
Professor Jones added: “This study is about equipping authorities with a way to make those calls in a transparent, evidence-based way.”
Recent incidents have underscored the necessity for such methodologies, including Nord Stream 2 pipeline sabotage in the Baltic Sea, nuclear facility vulnerabilities in conflict zones, and severed underwater internet cables. Infrastructure planning increasingly represents not merely a technical challenge but a national security concern.
The researchers propose their methodology could adapt to other vital infrastructure types, including airports, bridges, fuel storage facilities, and electric vehicle charging networks, particularly as energy systems experience significant transformation.
Whilst their present model addresses emergency closures, future implementations might encompass urban planning decisions or long-term infrastructure resilience evaluations. The team aims to enhance their approach by incorporating risk management and safety science viewpoints.
Through linking safety analytics with wider sustainability objectives, such as those outlined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals regarding infrastructure and urban resilience, the study indicates a future where intelligent infrastructure decisions could help address both immediate dangers and long-term weaknesses.
The research also represents a significant achievement in the expanding partnership between the University of Portsmouth and Odesa Polytechnic National University, as both institutions mark three years of collaboration under the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative.
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Established in 2022 responding to ongoing conflict, the initiative supports Ukrainian universities by encouraging international cooperation and reinforcing academic resilience. Throughout three years, the University of Portsmouth and Odesa Polytechnic National University have collaborated on numerous research and innovation projects supporting Ukraine’s long-term welfare and economic rehabilitation.
“We are grateful for the opportunity, provided by the UK-Ukraine twinning grants scheme platform, to join leading researchers from the University of Portsmouth and be able to conduct research,” Dr Ivanov said. “This project has grown from a Masters thesis into a thorough study, and we hope its results will be used to enhance the safety of city residents and ensure their sustainable development.”
These collaborative initiatives were recently showcased at an event celebrating the science, technology and innovation pillar launch of the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership Agreement. Patrick Vallance, the UK’s Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, and Oksen Lisovyi, Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, attended the event.
Dr Andrii Zharikov, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Law at University of Portsmouth and Academic Lead for the OPNU partnership, commented: “This enduring collaboration exemplifies the strength of international academic partnerships in times of crisis, demonstrating our shared commitment to education, research, and mutual support. I’m proud to be part of an initiative that has delivered such impactful results.”
