Inter-plant hydrogen network with reuse/recycle optimization is important for saving hydrogen resource. Thus, its necessary to optimize the inter-plant hydrogen network. In this paper, a novel two-step method that combines the pinch insight with mathematical programming is developed to optimize the inter-plant hydrogen network with purification reuse/recycle. A new transhipment model for targeting inter-plant hydrogen network is built to target the hydrogen utility consumption for each refinery. After the hydrogen consumption is determined, individual plant hydrogen networks are designed separately. The mathematical model is linear to guarantee global optimal solution. Furthermore, the model can also optimize the number of inter-plant connections of the hydrogen network. Case study indicates the effectiveness of model. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.