Platinum plays a key role in renewable energy by acting as a catalyst in hydrogen production, fuel cells, and sustainable fuels. Its special properties help speed up chemical reactions without being used up, making clean energy processes more efficient.
In green hydrogen production, platinum helps split water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. This process uses electricity from renewable sources like wind or solar to create clean hydrogen fuel. Platinum group metals, including platinum, drive this efficiency in large-scale systems, as seen in recent advances in 2025.https://discoveryalert.com.au/pgm-catalyzed-water-splitting-mechanisms-2025/[1] Platinum is also vital in proton exchange membrane technologies for both making green hydrogen and powering fuel cell electric vehicles.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum[2]
Fuel cells rely on platinum to combine hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, producing only water as a byproduct. This makes platinum essential for clean transportation and power generation. Experts predict the hydrogen economy could add up to 900,000 ounces of platinum demand each year by 2030.https://www.phoenixrefining.com/blog/russia-s-largest-palladium-producer-sees-platinum-deficit-this-year[4]
Platinum supports sustainable aviation fuel too. In power-to-liquid processes, it improves cobalt catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, turning green hydrogen and captured CO2 into jet fuel. It also aids isomerization to meet fuel standards for high-altitude flights. Demand from this area could reach 260,000 ounces annually by 2050 as production grows eightfold.https://bioenergytimes.com/global-platinum-demand-set-to-rise-as-sustainable-aviation-fuel-production-expands/[3]https://www.miningweekly.com/article/global-council-expects-platinum-demand-from-sustainable-aviation-fuel-to-increase-incrementally-2025-11-21[7]
Energy applications like fuel cells and electrolyzers already account for 15 percent of platinum group metals use. Governments fund recycling projects to recover platinum from old fuel cells, strengthening supply chains.https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/platinum-group-metals-market[5] Efforts include bio-mining and better recycling to reduce mining impacts.https://energy.sustainability-directory.com/question/what-are-the-impacts-of-pgm-reliance-on-production/[6]
Platinum’s demand is rising in these areas even as supplies face shortages, supporting the shift to low-carbon energy.https://www.goldavenue.com/en/blog/newsletter-precious-metals-spotlight/should-you-consider-investing-in-platinum-and-palladium[8]
Sources
https://discoveryalert.com.au/pgm-catalyzed-water-splitting-mechanisms-2025/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum
https://bioenergytimes.com/global-platinum-demand-set-to-rise-as-sustainable-aviation-fuel-production-expands/
https://www.phoenixrefining.com/blog/russia-s-largest-palladium-producer-sees-platinum-deficit-this-year
https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/platinum-group-metals-market
https://energy.sustainability-directory.com/question/what-are-the-impacts-of-pgm-reliance-on-production/
https://www.miningweekly.com/article/global-council-expects-platinum-demand-from-sustainable-aviation-fuel-to-increase-incrementally-2025-11-21
https://www.goldavenue.com/en/blog/newsletter-precious-metals-spotlight/should-you-consider-investing-in-platinum-and-palladium