Reuters Interview / Q&A on the impact of Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles on Platinum

Posted on by Bodo Albrecht

Reuters BannerFuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) vs. battery electric vehicles (BEV) – the precious metals industry is rightfully concerned about this battle. While FCEVs will utilize platinum in their fuel cells, BEVs need none, and each electric vehicle sold of either kind means that one less standard emission control catalyst has been sold. Reason for Reuters to inquire about the scale of the potential effects.

I sometimes feel like a doomsday prophet when I’m just tallying up statements and facts from people and governments in charge, that inevitably lead to one conclusion: electrification is near, and there is no sufficient hydrogen supply infrastructure to counter the expansion of electric charging.

Better to deal with the issue now than staring into an abyss a decade down the road. Precious metals, combined with rare earth elements and other “strategic” metals, are indispensable in making a sustainable planet a reality. So let’s focus on a vision for this world in 2040, and start working towards it.

To read a transcript of the Q&A session please click here.

Update: I just discovered the direct link to Reuter’s summary: click here to read.

Platinum Group Metals: staring down a cliff?

Posted on by Bodo Albrecht

TecDay Road to the Future – Drive TrainOne topic of my annual “Metal Megatrends” paper at the recent IPMI conference in Phoenix was sustainable mobility, and its impacts on metal consumption. In fact, if you read the story of how my column for Kitco News started four years ago (see the “Welcome” page of this blog), we have now reached a point where we can answer the question: “What if all cars in the world were electric?”.

The answer is now online on Kitco News (click here to read).

While my paper (available through the IPMI in a little while) was also critical regarding Tesla executives’ role in trash talking hydrogen it should also be disclosed that I am on the long list of people having pre-ordered a Model 3, and I share the admiration of Elon Musk by those who say he is shaping the world by his visions, perhaps in more significant ways than Steve Jobs ever has.

As a result of adding up all the facts in front of us the only logical conclusion is that the era of the internal combustion engine is coming to an end. There will be a long tail, of course, with cars being passed on from some regions of the world to others, and with heavy duty engines as an unresolved issue. What about collector’s cars? Will a “boutique” style infrastructure emerge where we buy fuel in new ways, or is it back to the pharmacy like in the early days of the automobile?

Last but certainly not least: what will happen to pgm markets in the meantime? Assuming that the fuel cell will eventually gain traction, the loss of platinum on emission control catalysts might be offset by the growth of the FCEV. Palladium, which is already used in some fuel cells, might once again play a role as a substitute. Only for rhodium the direction is unclear in this environment.

That said, the unique properties of precious metals have always made them desirable, if not irreplaceable, in technology applications. I am optimistic that new uses will emerge as technologies advance further.

IPMI Video Series on Precious Metals Analysis now complete

Posted on by Bodo Albrecht

IPMI Sampling and AnalysisThe International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI) just released its fifth and final video on precious metals sampling and analysis. The list of videos was already contained in an earlier blog. You can see them all here, or you can go straight to YouTube and watch their latest only.

These videos were produced by Tom Bannos in collaboration and with contributions from many IPMI member companies. I like them because they are balanced enough to be interesting for a technical audience as well as for people with a general interest only. Strongly recommended viewing for anyone in the business.

What are Technology Metals?

Posted on by Bodo Albrecht

TRADIUM - CerItriumNeodymTerms like precious metals, rare earth elements, rare metals, minor metals, specialty metals etc. are used throughout reports leaving many people confused about what they actually mean. The term “Technology Metals” is, admittedly, loosely defined as well. Time for some definitions:

 

Precious Metals (8 metals):

  • Ag – Silver
  • Au – Gold
  • Pt – Platinum
  • Pd – Palladium
  • Rh – Rhodium
  • Ru – Ruthenium
  • Ir – Iridium
  • Os – Osmium

Rare Earths Elements (17 metals):

  • Ce – Cerium
  • Dy – Dysprosium
  • Er – Erbium
  • Eu – Europium
  • Gd – Gadolinium
  • Ho – Holmium
  • La – Lanthanum
  • Lu – Lutetium
  • Nd – Neodymium
  • Pr – Praseodymium
  • Pm – Promethium
  • Sm – Samarium
  • Sc – Scandium
  • Tb – Terbium
  • Tm – Thulium
  • Yb – Ytterbium
  • Y – Yttrium

I recommend this very detailed blog by Mike Albrecht (unrelated) on the difference between rare earth elements, and rare metals.

Strategic Metals (undefined)

This is the group of metals that, other than the first two, isn’t clearly defined. Strategic metals in the context of Metal Megatrends are metals driving technology on a larger scale. So this group is somewhat flexible in its composition as my interviews and reports will follow market trends:

  • Co – Cobalt
  • Ga – Gallium
  • Ge – Germanium
  • Hf – Hafnium
  • In – Indium
  • Li – Lithium
  • Re – Rhenium
  • Se – Selenium
  • Te – Tellurium
  • Tl – Thallium

Metals are all around fascinating, and I will continue to report on others if and when they make an appearance to present a new solution, or even new mysteries as this one.

2016: Turnaround for Tech Metal Prices? Part 1

Posted on by Bodo Albrecht

IMG_42502015 was not a good year for technology metals (precious metals, rare earth elements and strategic metals). From a perspective of industrial use, what is the likely development in demand and price in 2016? Part one of my condensed analysis was just published exclusively on Kitco News. Click here to read. Parts 2 and 3 will deal with the other groups of metals.