LONDON (Reuters) - Global automotive supplier Bosch expects platinum to play only a minor role in its new fuel cells, giving precious metal markets scant benefit even as the technology gains momentum for pollution-free transport.
According to Reuters calculations, Bosch would only need a tenth of the platinum used in current fuel cell vehicles.
Hopes of reviving demand and prices of platinum increasingly hinges on widespread uptake of fuel cells in vehicles, ships and trains to make up for dwindling amounts used in each device, analysts say.
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The spot price of platinum has shed more than 40 percent in the last five years, burdened by persistent oversupply, before rebounding slightly in recent months.
But hopes that fuel cells will boost long-term demand may be dampened after Germany's Robert Bosch GmbH told Reuters that platinum was expected to play only a "minor role" in its plans to mass produce fuel cells.
Privately-owned Bosch, which last month signed a deal with Powercell Sweden AB to mass produce fuel cells, said its fuel cell design was not finalised, but it expects them to use only as much platinum as a diesel catalytic converter.
A catalytic converter in a diesel passenger vehicle typically uses three to seven grams of platinum compared with around 30-60 grams currently needed for a fuel cell for the same vehicle, according to analysts.
"There has been lots of optimization work concerning platinum in fuel cells," Achim Moritz, product manager for mobile fuel cells at Bosch, told Reuters.
"If you look at a diesel catalytic system, there is about the same amount of platinum content you need for a fuel cell," he added.
According to Reuters calculations, Bosch would only need a tenth of the platinum used in current fuel cell vehicles.
Hopes of reviving demand and prices of platinum increasingly hinges on widespread uptake of fuel cells in vehicles, ships and trains to make up for dwindling amounts used in each device, analysts say.
ADVERTISEMENT
The spot price of platinum has shed more than 40 percent in the last five years, burdened by persistent oversupply, before rebounding slightly in recent months.
But hopes that fuel cells will boost long-term demand may be dampened after Germany's Robert Bosch GmbH told Reuters that platinum was expected to play only a "minor role" in its plans to mass produce fuel cells.
Privately-owned Bosch, which last month signed a deal with Powercell Sweden AB to mass produce fuel cells, said its fuel cell design was not finalised, but it expects them to use only as much platinum as a diesel catalytic converter.
A catalytic converter in a diesel passenger vehicle typically uses three to seven grams of platinum compared with around 30-60 grams currently needed for a fuel cell for the same vehicle, according to analysts.
"There has been lots of optimization work concerning platinum in fuel cells," Achim Moritz, product manager for mobile fuel cells at Bosch, told Reuters.
"If you look at a diesel catalytic system, there is about the same amount of platinum content you need for a fuel cell," he added.
