Precious metal recovery vital – panel
Recycling proton-exchange membrane electrolysers and fuel cells at the end of their lives will help address supply concerns
Recycling proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers to recover the precious metals used as catalysts will help ensure sustainability and drive down costs for green hydrogen, industry insiders say. PEM electrolysers require platinum, iridium and ruthenium as catalysts for water electrolysis. The same three platinum group metals (PGMs), plus palladium and manganese, are also needed in fuel cell electric vehicles that run on electricity generated from hydrogen. While efforts are underway to substitute some of these metals with cheaper, more durable alternatives, recovering them will be key given that global PGM output amounts to just 500t/yr, according to Takahito Furuya, president of Tokyo-
Also in this section
8 May 2024
Commission modelling of emission reduction pathway implies undershoot of current hydrogen production and imports targets, according to speakers at a recent Hydrogen Europe event
8 May 2024
Hydrogen cars may not have much credibility, but the same could have been said about EVs not too long ago
3 May 2024
Australia’s Fortescue and France’s EDF Renewables among the successful bidders as second-round auction draws green hydrogen projects worth about $11b
1 May 2024
High costs and uncertainty over offtake agreements are delaying project investment decisions, according to Aurora Energy Research