7 min
New boost for platinum group metals may arise from eFuel scale-up MiningWeekly.com Audio Articles
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The emerging use of electrofuel (eFuel) as an interchangeable substitute for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel has the potential to create important new demand for Southern Africa's platinum group metals (PGMs).
This is because eFuel is a combination of green hydrogen and waste carbon dioxide (CO2) and demand for PGMs will arise when proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers are used to generate the green hydrogen. PGMs and PEMs go hand-in-glove.
Infinium founder and CEO Robert Schuetzle made mention of this in a Zoom interview with Mining Weekly and reported that one of the two electrolysers chosen for his company's recently launched eFuels facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, is a PGM-using PEM system. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)
Two electrolysis platforms were chosen by Infinium to gain procurement, commissioning, construction and now operational experience of the two platforms and their integration with eFuels.
"We'll need massive amounts of electrolysis for our eFuels facilities, so that could be a driver for PGMs in the PEM category," said Schuetzle.
Infinium is a technology owner and a project developer. It has a patent portfolio approaching 200 patents globally and manufactures its own proprietary catalysts in-house.
It has about a dozen projects at various stages of development globally, including the Roadrunner project in West Texas, and the Reuze project in Dunkirk, France, which is being developed with Engie and ArcelorMittal.
"We now have eFuels mandates in the EU as well as the UK. We know other geographies are looking at import benefits and a number of incentives around eFuels. While it's a new topic today, in the coming years, you'll see that accelerate and you'll see adoption of eFuels in customers' decarbonisation goals accelerate.
"It's close to a net zero carbon fuel solution and it doesn't require infrastructure changes because it's not a new specification. This is a drop-in transportation fuel, which, again, makes it easier for our customers to help achieve their decarbonisation goals," Schuetzle emhasised.
SOUTH AFRICA LINK
Interestingly, the PGM-promoting and South Africa-linked venture capital company, AP Ventures, is not only an investor in Infinium but a contributor that Schuetzle ranks as a strategic partner: "We work with them regularly on partnership opportunities, on project opportunities, on strategy."
"What I appreciate most about the AP Ventures team is their thought leadership in this industry, and the connections they're able to make," said Schuetzle.
With its proprietary technology, Infinium eFuels include sustainable eSAF aviation fuel, which can be used in today's aircraft fleet.
An e-diesel that can be used in long-haul transport, shipping or maritime applications anywhere that diesel is used is also produced, along with a naphtha product that is lighter than the diesel and the eSAF, but is used in petrochemical applications for the production of plastics.
"Because we use waste CO2 that would otherwise be emitted to atmosphere, these fuels, when produced, are very close to net zero carbon fuels that our customers such as Amazon and American Airlines, can use directly in their vehicle fleets to help achieve their decarbonisation goals," Schuetzle emphasised.
What is Infinium's background?
Infinium has a long history through our predecessor company that was focused on small-scale gas-to-liquids, very similar to the eFuels technology. But going back 15 years, our technology platform was focused on converting natural gas or waste gases like flare gas into fuels and chemicals. It's an area called gas-to-liquids. There are some major players that do it at very large scale, such as Shell and Sasol, but our platform operates at a very small scale due to our proprietary technology. Then, from that gas-to-liquids environment, a number of years ago we shifted to really focus on eFuels, very similar te
This audio is brought to you by Wearcheck, your condition monitoring specialist.
The emerging use of electrofuel (eFuel) as an interchangeable substitute for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel has the potential to create important new demand for Southern Africa's platinum group metals (PGMs).
This is because eFuel is a combination of green hydrogen and waste carbon dioxide (CO2) and demand for PGMs will arise when proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers are used to generate the green hydrogen. PGMs and PEMs go hand-in-glove.
Infinium founder and CEO Robert Schuetzle made mention of this in a Zoom interview with Mining Weekly and reported that one of the two electrolysers chosen for his company's recently launched eFuels facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, is a PGM-using PEM system. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)
Two electrolysis platforms were chosen by Infinium to gain procurement, commissioning, construction and now operational experience of the two platforms and their integration with eFuels.
"We'll need massive amounts of electrolysis for our eFuels facilities, so that could be a driver for PGMs in the PEM category," said Schuetzle.
Infinium is a technology owner and a project developer. It has a patent portfolio approaching 200 patents globally and manufactures its own proprietary catalysts in-house.
It has about a dozen projects at various stages of development globally, including the Roadrunner project in West Texas, and the Reuze project in Dunkirk, France, which is being developed with Engie and ArcelorMittal.
"We now have eFuels mandates in the EU as well as the UK. We know other geographies are looking at import benefits and a number of incentives around eFuels. While it's a new topic today, in the coming years, you'll see that accelerate and you'll see adoption of eFuels in customers' decarbonisation goals accelerate.
"It's close to a net zero carbon fuel solution and it doesn't require infrastructure changes because it's not a new specification. This is a drop-in transportation fuel, which, again, makes it easier for our customers to help achieve their decarbonisation goals," Schuetzle emhasised.
SOUTH AFRICA LINK
Interestingly, the PGM-promoting and South Africa-linked venture capital company, AP Ventures, is not only an investor in Infinium but a contributor that Schuetzle ranks as a strategic partner: "We work with them regularly on partnership opportunities, on project opportunities, on strategy."
"What I appreciate most about the AP Ventures team is their thought leadership in this industry, and the connections they're able to make," said Schuetzle.
With its proprietary technology, Infinium eFuels include sustainable eSAF aviation fuel, which can be used in today's aircraft fleet.
An e-diesel that can be used in long-haul transport, shipping or maritime applications anywhere that diesel is used is also produced, along with a naphtha product that is lighter than the diesel and the eSAF, but is used in petrochemical applications for the production of plastics.
"Because we use waste CO2 that would otherwise be emitted to atmosphere, these fuels, when produced, are very close to net zero carbon fuels that our customers such as Amazon and American Airlines, can use directly in their vehicle fleets to help achieve their decarbonisation goals," Schuetzle emphasised.
What is Infinium's background?
Infinium has a long history through our predecessor company that was focused on small-scale gas-to-liquids, very similar to the eFuels technology. But going back 15 years, our technology platform was focused on converting natural gas or waste gases like flare gas into fuels and chemicals. It's an area called gas-to-liquids. There are some major players that do it at very large scale, such as Shell and Sasol, but our platform operates at a very small scale due to our proprietary technology. Then, from that gas-to-liquids environment, a number of years ago we shifted to really focus on eFuels, very similar te
7 min