REBUTTAL TO TROMP ET AL.'S RESPONSE, SCIENCE 302:226-229,10 OCT. 2003

Amory B. Lovins argues that the 10-20% hydrogen leakage rate assumed by Tromp et al. is unsupported and technically implausible. He contends that boiloff from liquid hydrogen (LH2) tanks does not equate to atmospheric emissions because it is used as fuel or catalytically oxidized. Furthermore, Lovins asserts that compressed gaseous hydrogen (GH2) is the industry norm due to superior economics, lower mass, and adequate range, whereas LH2 remains a niche technology with poor economic prospects.

• The assumption that a global hydrogen industry would leak 10% to 20% of its throughput is described as 'absurd' and unsupported by the cited references, with actual leakage rates likely being one to two orders of magnitude lower.
• Boiloff from liquid hydrogen (LH2) automotive storage tanks is unlikely to enter the atmosphere because it is either used as the first fuel upon vehicle restart or catalytically oxidized to meet safety regulations.
• Compressed gaseous hydrogen (GH2) is preferred over liquid hydrogen (LH2) by most vehicle designers because it is cheaper, lighter, and easier to implement, with high-pressure tanks (35-MPa and 70-MPa) providing sufficient driving range.
• Liquid hydrogen (LH2) is considered economically unpromising compared to gaseous hydrogen (GH2) due to high production and distribution costs, and it receives less R&D funding from General Motors (GM) than other storage options.
• The atmospheric impact of hydrogen depends on net effects—including the reduction of current anthropogenic hydrogen and CO2 emissions—rather than gross hydrogen emissions alone.

APA

LOVINS, A. B. (2003). REBUTTAL TO TROMP ET AL.'S RESPONSE, SCIENCE 302:226-229,10 OCT. 2003. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03_02ScienceLetterTrompRebuttal.pdf

Chicago

LOVINS, AMORY B. REBUTTAL TO TROMP ET AL.'S RESPONSE, SCIENCE 302:226-229,10 OCT. 2003. RMI, 2003. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03_02ScienceLetterTrompRebuttal.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=LOVINS |first1=AMORY B. |title=REBUTTAL TO TROMP ET AL.'S RESPONSE, SCIENCE 302:226-229,10 OCT. 2003 |publisher=RMI |date=11 October 2003 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03_02ScienceLetterTrompRebuttal.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lovins2003rebuttal, author = {LOVINS, AMORY B.}, title = {{REBUTTAL TO TROMP ET AL.'S RESPONSE, SCIENCE 302:226-229,10 OCT. 2003}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2003}, month = oct, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03_02ScienceLetterTrompRebuttal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }