[SMM Precious Metals Express]

China’s hydrogen energy industry is moving from policy-driven growth into a new phase of large-scale development. According to the China Hydrogen Energy Development Report 2026, by the end of 2025, China’s total hydrogen production capacity exceeded 51 million tonnes per annum, while commissioned renewable hydrogen capacity surpassed 250,000 tonnes per annum, more than doubling year-on-year. The fleet of fuel cell vehicles stood at around 32,000, with over 590 hydrogen refuelling stations completed. The rapid expansion of industrial scale raises higher requirements for supporting standards.

Researchers at TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) recently found that optimizing the thickness of platinum coatings on bipolar plates of PEM electrolyzers can substantially cut platinum consumption while retaining electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, offering a new technical route to lower green hydrogen production costs. The relevant study has been published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Tharisa, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Tharisa Minerals has agreed to sell 50% of the platinum group metal concentrate produced at its Tharisa mine in South Africa’s North West province to Rustenburg Platinum Mines, a subsidiary of Valterra Platinum. The multi-year offtake agreement will take effect on 1 January 2027, when Valterra Platinum will replace multinational metals and miniing group Sibanye-Stillwater as the purchaser of Tharisa’s PGM concentrate.