JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The acronyms are becoming more intense, with PTE, which stands for porous transport electrodes, the latest one, amid the already tried and trusted proton exchange membrane (PEM) popping up for decades now in the context of platinum group metals (PGMs), which South Africa hosts in the greatest volumes.

PEM and now PTE are a reflection of PGM and green hydrogen good fortune, with PTE following an earlier ruthenium breakthrough to ensure supply at an acceptable price of iridium, which, in turn, assures the generation of affordable green hydrogen. Further good news for South Africa arises when fuel cells, which also require PGMs, turn the green hydrogen in net-zero green electricity to power trucks, trains, buses, ships, planes, buildings, factories, mines and mini-grid-served communities.

Crucially, PGM-catalysed electrolysers and fuel cells are all there is to ensure a low-carbon to no-carbon world and credible protection for a planet hit by climate change.

PTE has arrived to magnify the efficiency of PEM water electrolysis using the lowest amounts of iridium, which Heraeus Precious Metals has been going all out to do on its own and will now do to a far greater extent with the help of Smoltek Hydrogen.

Smoltek has entered into a strategic collaboration with Heraeus to elevate the functional efficiency of PTEs in PEM electrolysers to new heights.

“We’ve won another great ally in our quest to develop highly efficient catalyst solutions for PEM water electrolysis,” Heraeus Precious Metals business line hydrogen systems executive VP Philipp Walter enthused in a LinkedIn comment.

Smoltek is combining its nanostructure technology with Heraeus’ advanced catalyst formulations in a bid to significantly lower cost by further advancing the limits of iridium efficiency.

“We have very exciting times ahead. We’re thrilled to join forces and push PEM efficiency to new levels,” Smoltek Hydrogen president Ellinor Ehrnberg said in response about this latest step to support the global energy transition with scalable and sustainable solutions.

The new-generation PTE's electrolyser electrodes are required to carry water, hydrogen and oxygen from and to the PEM, while simultaneously serving as electrode and catalytic carrier, Heraeus has informed Mining Weekly in a media release.

For this purpose, PTEs are coated with ultra-thin iridium- and platinum-containing catalytic layers.

The key target is to decrease the necessary amount of PGMs, especially the very scarce iridium and to accelerate green hydrogen production at significantly lower cost and resource usage.

Key factors for an ultra-low iridium solution are a high addressable surface, smallest particle sizes and the formulation of the particles itself, and this is where the skillsets of the partners combine to a unique constellation:

The collaboration combines Smoltek’s ultra-low iridium nanostructure technology for the PTE with Heraeus’ expertise in advanced catalyst formulations.

Smoltek has already achieved 0.1 mg/cm² iridium loading in PEM electrolysers, and this partnership is expected to further reduce the iridium content, by applying Heraeus’ ruthenium-iridium catalyst on Smoltek Hydrogen’s nanostructured PTE.

“Together, we aim to achieve a significant leap in catalyst efficiency and provide solutions that meet the needs of a growing hydrogen market,” said Walter. 

NEW PGM-CATALYSED ADVANCES

Many green hydrogen and fuel cell advances continue to be made.

For example, Toyota's new third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system, which reportedly offers improved performance, fuel efficiency, and cost reduction, is expected to be introduced in Japan, Europe, North America, and China after 2026.

In Germany, Accelera by Cummins will supply a 100 MW PEM electrolyser system for bp's green hydrogen project at the Lingen refinery, which is planned to produce 11 000 t of green hydrogen a year from 2027. The system will consist of 20 electrolyser units and is being manufactured in Guadalajara in Spain.

Accelera has deployed more than 600 electrolyser units worldwide, including a 20 MW facility in Quebec, Canada, and a 25 MW system in Florida, in the US.

Climate-friendly, zero-emission Wrightbus Kite Hydroliner buses,  in service in Germany with Regionalverkehr Köln, are single deck hydrogen fuel cell transporters stationed in Hürth, Meckenheim and Bergisch Gladbach. 

Doosan Fuel Cell plans to launch hydrogen fuel cell city buses in South Korea by mid-year to help to achieve the country’s clean energy goals.

Fuel Cell Works reports that last year more than 1 000 hydrogen refuelling stations were operational worldwide, with 125 new stations opened in 45 countries, according to the seventeenth annual evaluation of H2stations.org. The EU is reportedly set to launch its joint purchasing platform for hydrogen in September.

As part of a collaboration that will initially focus on serving key markets in India, fuel cell technology company Teco has established a strategic partnership with Advait Energy Transitions for a manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad, India. The joint venture is targeting the decarbonisation of power generation, heavy transport, and maritime applications.

Siemens is to become the preferred supplier and technology partner for Guofu Hydrogen’s production of electrolysers and green hydrogen, with sights set on a hydrogen partner ecosystem.

Sixteen hydrogen valleys across Spain have come together to form the Hydrogen Valley Alliance, which is aimed at uplifting Spain's role in the European green hydrogen sector . . . and the list of hydrogen fuel cell developments could go on and on owing to the regularity of related announcements.