Robert Bosch GmbH has announced that it can recover almost all of the platinum from fuel cell stacks. The company has concluded the first contract with a buy-back option for stacks with the mobility provider Hylane. The recovered platinum will then be used in new Bosch stacks.
Following the start of series production, the technology company has given the go-ahead for the recycling plan for fuel cell stacks. So-called platinum group metals (PGM) are processed in fuel cells. In addition to platinum, these include palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium and iridium - valuable raw materials that are particularly worth recovering. At least 95% of platinum can be almost completely recovered from fuel cell stacks. Bosch is therefore pursuing the goal of buying back stacks at the end of their service life.
According to Bosch, a first, important step for contract models with a buy-back option is the contract with mobility provider Hylane, which regulates the buy-back of fuel cell stacks at the end of the term. The start-up from Cologne rents out hydrogen trucks with drive systems from Bosch, among others. The contract model could serve as a blueprint for others in the long term. The stacks are recycled by a third-party provider. Bosch then uses the recovered platinum in the subsequent production process for new Hylane stacks.
Platinum recovery reduces CO2 emissions
Bosch has set itself the goal of saving 15% of CO2 emissions generated in the upstream and downstream value chain (so-called Scope 3) by 2030. The company is pursuing a holistic approach to the circular economy. For example, the company has developed solutions to recover platinum in a more environmentally friendly way - and has registered over 20 patent families for this purpose.
The focus is not only on conserving resources at the end of the product life cycle: in future, the service life and functionality of components in fuel cells and electrolysis stacks will be monitored by digital twins during operation. This will allow maintenance, repair and recycling to be planned in advance.
Whether in medicine or the automotive industry, platinum is a sought-after raw material in many areas. In the automotive sector, platinum is not only used in fuel cell stacks, but also in exhaust gas purification systems for combustion engines and lambda sensors. According to a 2021 study by the German Raw Materials Agency, global demand for platinum could increase by around 20% by 2040 compared to 2018 production levels. In fuel cell stacks in mobile applications, the use of platinum alone accounts for over 80% of the CO2 footprint of the stacks.
