Platinum treasure in fuel cells

Platinum treasure in fuel cells

Bosch's fuel cell drive system is in series production. This also marks the start of the technology company's recycling plan. So-called platinum group metals (PGM) are processed in fuel cells, which include not only platinum but also palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium and iridium. Circular economy models are therefore particularly worthwhile for recovering valuable raw materials. Platinum, for example, can be recovered almost completely, at least 95 percent, from fuel cell stacks. Bosch therefore aims to buy back stacks at the end of the term. “By recycling, we make the stacks more economical and at the same time reduce the CO2 emissions caused by the mining of platinum,” says Thomas Pauer, Chairman of the Bosch Powertrain Solutions business unit. "We are already creating the conditions to get rare raw materials such as platinum back. According to our estimates, relevant quantities of fuel cells will have to be recycled by 2030 at the latest," explains Pauer. Platinum acts as a catalyst in the fuel cell and accelerates the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Recycling platinum can save more than 95 percent of the CO2 emissions caused by platinum mining.

A first, important step in this direction is a contract with the mobility provider Hylane, which regulates the possible repurchase of fuel cell stacks by Bosch at the end of the term. The start-up from Cologne rents out hydrogen trucks with, among other things, fuel cell drive systems from Bosch. In the long term, the contract model could serve as a blueprint for further Bosch fuel cell activities in the mobile and decentralized areas as well as for electrolysis stacks. "In this way, we create predictable, stable supply chains and better resource availability. We significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of stacks with recycled platinum, as the carbon dioxide emissions that arise when the metal is mined are eliminated," says Thomas Wintrich, head of the mobile fuel cell product area at Bosch. The new contract model with Hylane guarantees Bosch a buyback option for the stacks for mobile applications. The stacks are recycled by a third party. Bosch uses recovered platinum in the subsequent production process for new Hylane stacks. “In order to sustainably transform mobility, it is important that we not only look at the use of vehicles on the road, but also the entire life cycle of vehicles,” says Sara Schiffer, Managing Director of Hylane.

Whether in medicine or the automotive industry, platinum is a sought-after raw material in many areas. In the automotive sector, platinum is not only used in fuel cell stacks, but also in exhaust gas purification systems of internal combustion engines or lambda sensors. According to a 2021 study by the German Raw Materials Agency, global platinum demand could increase by around 20 percent by 2040 compared to 2018 production. In fuel cell stacks in mobile applications, the use of platinum alone accounts for over 80 percent of the stack's CO2 footprint.