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Liquid hydrogen must be kept at cryogenic temperatures of -253.87 Celsius (-423 Fahrenheit).

Liquid hydrogen needs to be kept at an extremely low temperature to remain in its liquid state, approximately -252.87°C (-423.17°F).1 Proper insulation and cryogenic storage methods are required to maintain this temperature and prevent hydrogen from evaporating. Any flaws in the storage system that allow for heat ingress can cause hydrogen to evaporate, turning back into a gaseous state, a process known as boil-off.2 If not properly managed, boil-off can result in the loss of hydrogen over time and an increase in atmospheric hydrogen.3

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Footnotes​

  1. Department of Energy. (n.d.). Liquid Hydrogen Delivery. Department of Energy. [https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/liquid-hydrogen-delivery#:~:text=Gaseous%20hydrogen%20is%20liquefied%20by,plant%20in%20large%20insulated%20tanks](https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/liquid-hydrogen-delivery#:~:text=Gaseous hydrogen is liquefied by,plant in large insulated tanks). ↩

  2. Ibid. ↩

  3. Frazer-Nash Consultancy. (2022). Fugitive hydrogen emissions in a future hydrogen economy. UK Government. ↩