RYK VAN NIEKERK: The H2 Moves Berlin in Germany is an interesting case study of how hydrogen fuel cells are used to power electric vehicles. The project paired Toyota, SafeDriver [Group] and Anglo American and consists of 115 hydrogen fuel-cell-powered electric taxis. The service kicked off at the end of 2022, and the cars have already covered more than one million emission-free kilometres.
So basically we work together with Toyota and Uber there to demonstrate the advantages of fuel-cell electric vehicles to the wider public. That’s the point. The only difference is these electric motors need electricity in a battery/electric vehicle. The electricity is stored and carried around by the battery/electric car. So it comes from the battery. In a fuel-cell electric vehicle, the electricity is made on the spot, on board, by putting hydrogen gas into a fuel cell which mixes it with oxygen and out comes heat and electricity.
BENNY OEYEN: Well, let me first tell you, compared to petrol and diesel cars – don’t forget 95% of cars sold in the world or 94% – the vast majority are still petrol or diesel cars, and 99% of the cars driving around in the world are still petrol or diesel cars. So that’s really the comparison. I’ll come to that.
Petrol and diesel vehicles are the cheapest; battery/electric vehicles are somewhere in between, and the fuel-cell vehicles are the most expensive. They are for sale, you can have them now. But the issue with fuel-cell electric vehicles at this moment is not so much the price. That’s also an issue, but it was with battery-electric vehicles [as well]. But with hydrogen vehicles, with fuel-cell vehicles, the key point is the availability of hydrogen refuelling stations. They’re still quite low in Europe. Germany is starting to get there, but for the rest you need hydrogen-refuelling stations.
And that’s why many big makers like Volvo and Mercedes, etc, are working on trucks. And once you have the trucks, they will enable hydrogen-refuelling stations along the big transport access. And once you have the hydrogen-refuelling stations, you can start having an ecosystem for larger passenger cars as well.
RYK VAN NIEKERK: Anglo American is involved. Of course through Anglo American Platinum you produce a significant amount of platinum every year. How much platinum is used in these fuel cells?