World Platinum Investment Council - WPIC®

Hyundai Motor Company (현대자동차)'s latest #hydrogen vehicle is ready for its close-up, but not for too close a look. Called #Initium, the Latin word for "beginning" or "first", the new SUV concept previews Hyundai’s next passenger #fuelcell model that will arrive in production form in the first half of 2025. The Latin plural of Initium means mysteries, and that certainly applies to the FCEV's technical details for now. Still, there are a few details to be had. Hyundai said the Initium uses large hydrogen fuel tanks of an undisclosed size and low-rolling-resistance tires to maximise the vehicle's range. Hyundai said it is targeting a driving range of over 400 miles with a maximum motor output of 150 kW. The production Initium FCEV will use Hyundai's third-generation fuel cell stack, following the company's first independent design in the 2013 Tucson FCEV, which had a power density of 2.09 kW/l, and the 2018 Nexo (3.2 kW/l). Precise numbers were not available for the new stack, but engineers told Car and Driver it would be another improvement. The durability of the new stack will also be increased by 40 percent compared to the Nexo stack. A small door on the rear passenger side of the Initium does not indicate that this is a PHEV FCV but instead hides a typical (in Korea) 220-volt household outlet since the Initium is able to provide vehicle-to-load (V2L) electricity. With full H2 tanks, the Initium will be able to produce around 100.0 kWh of offboard power, enough to power a typical Korean home for around 10 days, Hyundai said. via Car and Driver Magazine

China is transforming into one of the most important investment markets for platinum bars and coins as highlighted by the recent launch of a new 1kg platinum investment bar. Read the full story here...https://bit.ly/3NU1CK8 #platinuminvestment

TALKE, a leading provider of logistics solutions for the chemical industry, has announced the successful conclusion of its two-week trial with Hyzon‘s Class 8 200kW Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (#FCEV) truck as part of its Houston drayage operations at TALKE USA. This marks a significant step forward in the TALKE group’s journey toward #zeroemission transportation. Richard Heath, TALKE President and CEO, said : "This trial is a key part of TALKE’s preparations for zero-emission operations and aligns with our ongoing commitment to our global ESG program, #CraftingResponsibleLogistics" via Hydrogen Central #hydrogeneconomy #platinum #PGMs

ZeroAvia has announced that it has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PowerCell Group to collaborate on next generation fuel cell technologies. Joint R&D will focus on intermediate and high temperature fuel cells which will open up more energy intensive applications such as large fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft.   The two companies have been working together for the last few years, with PowerCell fuel cell stacks forming part of the prototype ZeroAvia powertrains that have powered both of the breakthrough #fuelcell flight demonstrators flown by ZeroAvia. ZeroAvia’s high temperature PEM fuel cell (HT-PEM) stacks – part of the roadmap to delivery of ZA2000 powertrain for 40-80 seat aircraft and a key part of the company’s component offering to other clean flight innovators – are already demonstrating industry record power density in excess of 2.5 kW/kg at the cell level, with a clear pathway to reaching 3+ kW/kg at the system level in the coming months. Richard Berkling, CEO PowerCell Group, said: “We’re confident that the first hydrogen-electric aircraft will be flying commercially in the upcoming years. When that happens, it will have a snowball effect as the environmental and operating cost benefits become clear to airlines and their passengers. For PowerCell, this is a key future market, and we are delighted to be deepening our partnership with the leader in this space to develop solutions to enable more clean flights, removing more emissions.”

Our warmest wishes for an auspicious and joyful Diwali!

The October Platinum Essentials monthly research insight is now available to download... 💭… A key ❔ market participants are asking is why hasn’t the platinum price reacted to recent market deficits? 💡… To address this question, WPIC has developed a Platinum Price Attribution Model to explain what key observable variables can be utilised as indicators to explain price movements… We have divided factors into three categories: 1⃣  Fundamental 2⃣  Market-economic 3⃣  Sentiment Key conclusions are that the main price influencing factors evolve over time, and that since 2011, market-economic and sentiment factors have had higher influence than fundamentals… Read more… at https://lnkd.in/emfphFUf #PlatinumEssentials #Platinum #Preciousmetals #PGMs

New research from International Platinum Group Metals Association e.V. advocates for the deployment of #FCEVs. Our in-depth analysis of the #hydrogeneconomy indicates that hydrogen end-uses will account for around 11% of total annual platinum demand by 2030 (~875 koz), with 60% coming from #FCEVs. Heavy-duty vehicles will lead the way. WPIC expects three factors to support heavy-duty #FCEV markets in the coming years which will help address the core hurdle of cost competitiveness relative to incumbent diesel fleets. ➡ OEMs plan to increase fuel cell production capacity from 24 GW to 91 GW per annum by 2030f. Rising output should support economies of scale to lower #FCEVs production costs and raise consumer choice ➡ Subsidies are lowering the upfront capital costs of heavy-duty #FCEVs, helping to mitigate currently higher H2 fuel prices versus diesel ➡ Electrolysis technology improvements and production tax credits are forecast to lower the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) by ~55% to 2030. As the economic hurdles to heavy-duty #FCEV adoption recede, we forecast heavy-duty market share will reach 5% by 2030, driven by China and Europe. Read more...https://bit.ly/4hlA0Lt 

StoneX Group Inc. has announced that one of its subsidiaries, StoneX Metals Limited, has completed its acquisition of JBR Recovery Ltd’s precious metal recovery and refinery business. The acquisition will deepen the #StoneX group’s already market leading metals offering, by allowing it to own a significant part of the supply chain, as well as meet the growing global demand for recycled #silver. JBR is a processor of materials containing silver, #gold and other #platinum group metals (#PGM). It specialises in the reuse and recycling of secondary or waste materials which it then processes and produces Good Delivery silver bars. JBR is one of only two UK companies accredited by the LBMA for the supply of 'Good Delivery' silver to the London Bullion Market, producing more than 250 tonnes of silver per annum. The original business was founded in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and has ties to the #preciousmetal refining and recovery industry since the 18th century. The acquisition will expand the StoneX group’s precious metals business to include the owning and refining of precious metals for the first time, enabling end-to-end management of metal trading from point of supply, production, and authentication through to the sale and delivery to the end client. Michael Skinner, Global Head of Metals, StoneX, commented: “This acquisition marks a historic moment for the StoneX group and its metals business. The acquisition of JBR is testament to the continued commitment of StoneX in furthering our offering in this market and providing our clients with a full end-to-end service and building our metals ecosystem. We will be working closely with the JBR team to ensure we continue to build on its strong reputation and hundreds of years of service in this market.” Simon Meddings, Managing Director, JBR Recovery, commented: “JBR has grown from strength to strength over recent years and the acquisition by the StoneX group is a momentous chapter in our history. The acquisition will aid further business growth and opportunity, enabling the offering of an enhanced service and product line to existing and new global customers. There are many synergies between both companies, and I look forward to working closely with the StoneX Metals team over the coming months. We are proud to be part of the StoneX group.”

H2 solutions company, H2H Energy, has proudly launched its groundbreaking H2 refueling product, #H2CORE, marking a national first for Australia. The locally manufactured solution offers high-capacity refueling for H2-powered vehicles including cars, trucks, buses, and boats. The official launch took place at the company’s manufacturing facility on the Sunshine Coast, where H2H Energy has been developing the H2CORE for their first Australian customer. As the only manufacturer of H2 refuelling equipment in Australia, H2H Energy has been supporting projects across Australia and New Zealand since 2014, starting with its small-scale portable refueller, the Gateway. via H2 Tech #platinum #hydrogeneconomy

As the energy transition gathers pace, decarbonisation is a growing priority across sectors. While electrification and #renewableenergy are likely to play a major role in this process, these levers may have limitations in abating emissions in certain industries. In these hard-to-abate industries, green hydrogen could emerge as a key solution. Hydrogen can be used as an energy source or as a feedstock in several industries. Today, hydrogen is mainly used as a feedstock in two sectors: refining (for example, crude oil #hydrocracking and #hydrotreating to produce fuels) and the production of chemicals such as ammonia and methanol. Green hydrogen has the potential to replace grey hydrogen in these sectors and could also be used in the production of synthetic fuels (such as e-methanol or e-ammonia for maritime transport and e-kerosene for aviation), as well as in other sectors such as steelmaking (via H2-DRI-EAF), helping to decarbonise industries where electrification is not feasible. In this article - the fourth in the McKinsey & Company series looking at the Iberian green industrial opportunity - the team draw on insights from their research and that of members of their Industry and Energy Transition Initiative (see sidebar “The Industry and Energy Transition Initiative”) to explore how Spain can take advantage of its #greenhydrogen potential to achieve decarbonisation, while also creating significant value.