- Platinum’s unique properties — exceptional conductivity, heat resistance and catalytic efficiency — make it indispensable across a range of electrical applications.
- Hydrogen fuel cells, particularly the proton exchange membrane variety, are one of the most promising sources of green energy production.
- PLG is a player in this emerging landscape, with a focus on the development of large-scale platinum group metal resources in the Bushveld Complex.
As global industries search for scalable and sustainable energy solutions, platinum has emerged as a critical component in the future of electrical applications. Platinum Group Metals (NYSE American: PLG) (TSX: PTM), is well positioned to help meet this growing demand through its strategic operations in South Africa’s platinum-rich Bushveld Complex.
Platinum’s unique properties — exceptional conductivity, heat resistance and catalytic efficiency — make it indispensable across a range of industrial and electrical applications. From use in hard disk drives and thermocouples to spark plugs and oxygen sensors, platinum has long played a quiet but crucial role in technology and industry. However, the metal’s importance is rapidly evolving beyond conventional applications, thanks to the increasing demand for clean-energy solutions, particularly hydrogen fuel cells, which rely on platinum as a catalyst.
The growth of artificial intelligence has brought platinum into sharper focus as the world grapples with the energy demands of next-generation computing. A report by the Japan Exchange Group explains that training advanced AI models, such as ChatGPT, requires enormous power, with daily electricity consumption equivalent to that of 17,000 average U.S. households (https://ibn.fm/oY3Q1). This level of demand, especially when concentrated in large-scale data centers, presents serious environmental and sustainability challenges. As these AI models become more complex and integrated across industries, the pressure to reduce their carbon footprint is pushing the development of cleaner power alternatives.
One of the most promising of these alternatives is the hydrogen fuel cell, particularly the proton exchange membrane (“PEM”) variety that uses platinum to catalyze an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike traditional energy sources, hydrogen fuel cells do not rely on combustion and emit no carbon dioxide. Their only byproducts are water and heat (https://ibn.fm/V4Bvv). This makes them especially appealing as a stationary power source for energy-intensive data centers and AI operations.
“Further, the hydrogen used by fuel cells can be produced through the electrolysis of water, powered by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, making the energy provided completely fossil free,” reported the Japan Exchange Group. “The WPIC estimates that around a third of the global electrolyser market will rely upon platinum-containing PEM electrolysers.”
Platinum Group Metals is working to be a player in this emerging landscape. The company’s primary focus is the development of large-scale platinum group metal resources in the Bushveld Complex, a region responsible for producing roughly 75% of the world’s platinum supply (https://ibn.fm/VfthP). The company’s flagship project, the Waterberg Project, is one of the newest and largest undeveloped PGM resources in South Africa (https://ibn.fm/UCdzf). It is specifically designed to support low-cost, bulk mechanized mining, ideal for supplying high volumes of platinum to markets increasingly driven by technological and environmental innovation.
Waterberg is also notable for its high palladium content, another metal used in emissions control systems, as well as significant amounts of rhodium and gold.
Platinum Group Metals continues to advance the Waterberg Project in partnership with leading industry players, including Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd., a major global PGM producer, Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security and Hanwa Co., Ltd. This joint venture provides PLG with technical and financial support as it moves toward development. In addition, PLG and Valterra Platinum Limited are working together through joint venture corporation Lion Battery Technologies Inc. to develop next-generation lithium-sulphur battery technology that incorporates platinum and palladium into new cathode designs aimed at improving battery life, energy density and efficiency.
With rising global awareness around climate change, energy sustainability and the environmental cost of AI technologies, platinum’s relevance in clean, high-performance electrical systems is growing. Platinum Group Metals’ development activities place it at the heart of this transition, helping to supply a metal that is both critical to industry and environmentally beneficial.
For more information, visit www.PlatinumGroupMetals.net.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PLG are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/PLG
