Automotive Engineering - September 2022 - 14

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
ELECTRIFICATION
New chemistry aims to slash fuel-cell PGM costs by 50%
Hydrogen fuel cells are steadily proving to be a competitive zeroemissions
solution for powering heavy trucks, railway locomotives
and ships, as well as for and various stationary-energy applications.
The cost of hydrogen fuel is coming down, with production
of " green " hydrogen at parity with the price of diesel in
some regions, according to recent industry reports. And production
scale is playing a major role: studies by McKinsey & Co. and
Deloitte have shown the cost delta of fuel-cell systems for trucks
versus equivalent diesel powertrains to be narrowing, based on
annual production volumes of 150,000 vehicles.
The cost reductions are being driven mainly by industrialization
of the fuel-cell system. " Everything except the catalyst in a
typical system - the bi-polar plates, the membrane material and
related components - has potential for economies of scale, "
explained Tom Stephenson, CEO and co-founder of Pajarito
Powder, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based manufacturer of
catalysts for use with proton-exchange membrane (PEM) and
alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers. " It's the catalyst that is 40
percent of the overall cost, because of its PGM (platinum group
metals) content, " he said, noting the most recent U.S. DoE projection
for fuel-cell cost based on 500,000-unit volume.
Stephenson cited the hydrogen-fueled Hyundai Nexo SUV,
the only production fuel-cell vehicle to have published data on
platinum content. The Nexo's catalyst has 56 grams of platinum;
as of mid-August 2022, platinum was trading at $31 per
gram, leaving the platinum content alone at a cost of $1736.
" Do the math; it's clear that catalyst costs must be reduced, " he
said. " But the challenge is, in large part, not about eliminating
the platinum, but making it more effective. That equates to less
platinum loading per fuel cell. We're able to deliver a catalyst
that can cut the amount of platinum per fuel cell in half. "
During an interview with SAE Media, Stephenson showed a
market sample of the black powder catalyst material Pajarito
plans to manufacture that promises to be a game-changer for
automotive hydrogen-propulsion economics. He explained
that the powder is the
result of research on platinum-free
catalyst formulations
done at Los
Alamos National
Laboratory (LANL) and
the University of New
Mexico, which license the
technology to Pajarito
Powder for commercialization.
Both institutions
serve as ongoing R&D
partners. The Pajarito
name comes from the
area in New Mexico
where LANL is located.
Hyundai Motor Co.,
Pajarito Powder CEO and co-founder
Tom Stephenson.
14 September 2022
The catalyst is 40% of a fuel cell's overall cost due to its PGM content.
long active in hydrogen fuel-cell development, is among
Pajarito Powder's investors. Pajarito also has done a DoE grant
project as a subcontractor to General Motors, Stephenson noted.
Hyundai is helping to fund Pajarito's next big project: a new
manufacturing facility to expand operations. Pajarito Powder's
patented-and-trademarked VariPore process is readily scaled
for high-volume manufacturing, Stephenson said.
Lindsay Brooke
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
FROM LEFT: LINDSAY BROOKE; PAJARITO POWDER
Automotive Engineering - September 2022

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