Page 173 - CW E-Magazine (12-11-2024)

News from Abroad

POLICY SUPPORT SOUGHT
Precious metals industry urges EU to accelerate

deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles before 2030

The International Platinum Group
Metals Association (IPA), a precious
metals industry lobby group, is calling
on EU policymakers to urgently drive
forward the deployment of fuel cell elec-
tric vehicles (FCEVs), alongside battery
electric vehicles (BEVs), before 2030 to
boost European competitiveness.

Together with Heraeus Precious
Metals and Johnson Matthey, two of
the leading companies in the precious
metals industry, the IPA published its
position paper “Fuel cell vehicles to
boost European competitiveness and In its paper, the association outlines of both FCEVs and BEVs will allow
the green deal”. The platinum group three key reasons why the timely deve- for the sustainable development of
metals experts outline where support lopment of the FCEV market is re- clean hydrogen technologies and pro-
is required to secure Europe’s competi- quired: vide the necessary confidence in the
tive position in FCEVs, meet Europe’s * Focusing support solely on BEVs market to continue investment in PGM
2030 zero-emission vehicle goals, and imposes a high risk of supply chain mining.”
ensure a more achievable, resilient bottlenecks. This is particularly true
and sustainable path to zero-emission for critical metals such as copper, Investment in FCEVs also makes
mobility by 2050. nickel and lithium. economic sense when considering the
* By investing in the development full picture, IPA said. For example,
“Platinum group metals (PGMs) of its FCEV market, Europe would although building hydrogen refuelling
are indispensable in the energy tran- capitalise on existing, home-grown stations may appear costly compared
sition,” explained Mr. Philipp Walter, technology and supply chains, create to using the existing grid for BEVs,
Executive Vice President of Business more local jobs and prevent replacing many existing vehicles with
Line Hydrogen Systems at Heraeus other countries from outcompeting BEVs would require substantial and
Precious Metals. “To secure the scale- Europe. expensive upgrades to the grid and
up of green hydrogen, we need a stable * Developing FCEVs would secure recharging infrastructure.
supply of PGMs, which requires man- the continued supply of iridium,
agement measures for the PGM supply a by-product of platinum mining. The paper concludes that the energy
chain.” Platinum is currently in high transition in Europe needs a two-track
demand for use in catalytic strategy, with deployment of FCEVs
The European Green Deal and Sus- converters but needs a replacement prioritised alongside BEVs. But while
tainable Mobility Strategy sets ambi- market for the future. the ramp up of BEVs has seen substan-
tious targets for transport emission tial public and policy support in the last
reduction. While it calls for the deploy- Mr. Alastair Judge, Chief Execu- decade, the same is not true for FCEVs.
ment of zero-emission road vehicles tive, Platinum Group Metal Services
(ZEVs), IPA reckons that deployments at Johnson Matthey, said, “PGMs have “The industry calls on policymakers
are heavily skewed towards BEVs, a crucial role in the energy transition, to support their recommendations and
with FCEVs only seen as a longer-term and we need the correct policies in urgently create a level playing field for
necessity, particularly in the passenger place to make optimum use of these FCEV manufacturing and refuelling
vehicle segment. finite resources. Supporting the growth infrastructure,” IPA said.

Chemical Weekly November 12, 2024 173

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