Fuel cells: We don’t have liftoff
Development of a local fuel-cell industry requires more funding, government support and lifting of regulatory barriers if it is ever going to grow enough to make a difference to platinum demand
Despite being a pillar of SA’s industrial strategy, the growth of a local fuel-cell sector has been painfully slow. Eight years after establishing a dedicated agency, Hydrogen SA (HySA), the country still imports the fuel cells being showcased by platinum companies and government departments (though it is now building its first local prototype). Hydrogen fuel cells use platinum as a catalyst to turn hydrogen and oxygen into energy. It is hoped they will develop a substantial new market for platinum, possibly as much as 1moz/year, as demand from other sectors like auto catalysts, jewellery and investment has stalled in the past decade. Current global offtake of platinum for fuel cells is a mere 40,000oz a year. Though many countries, including the US, Korea and Australia, see it as promising technology, there are only about 30 commercial fuel-cell companies in the world. In SA, government and platinum companies’ ability to fund research is limited. HySA, part of the department of sci...
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