First Mover

Platinum beneficiation champion poised to launch fuel cell components plant.

- David Oliveira

South Africa’s much-spoken-about platinum beneficiation drive is poised to receive some sorely needed impetus later this year, when Isondo Precious Metals’ (IPM’s) fuel cell component manufacturing plant arrives in the country.

The best-in-class plant, designed and built by German coating equipment manufacturer Coatema Coating Machinery, will enable IPM to manufacture catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) – key fuel cell components – at the volumes required by a burgeoning fuel cell market and at internationally competitive prices.

The company will manufacture platinum-containing CCMs, which form the core of MEAs. Gas diffusion layers are placed on either side of the CCMs and then enclosed by a sealing material to form the full MEA. MEAs are then layered to form fuel cell stacks capable of generating electric power for stationary or mobile applications.

The number of MEAs in a fuel cell stack is proportional to its electricity generating capacity, which, depending on the type of fuel cell technology, can produce electricity from kilowatts to the megawatt range.

IPM CEO Vinay Somera tells Engineering News that the company will focus on developing components for motive applications, such as fuel cell electric vehicles; however, it will also have scope to manufacture components for stationary fuel cell and electrolyser applications.

The company’s business model is to primarily manufacture components used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).