Alstom has recently sent its Regiolis H2 hydrogen train for certification. As the third hydrogen-powered model in its product line, the train is expected to be put into operation in France by the end of this year. With a range of 600 km, the new Regiolis H2 is slightly shorter than the Coradia Stream H (660 km) and significantly shorter than the Coradia iLint (800 km). However, its hybrid system offers an additional advantage: it can operate using catenary power when available. Thus, the project is positioned as a versatile solution for hybrid infrastructure routes.
Nevertheless, Alstom's hydrogen train experiment has run into trouble again. Operators in Germany have resumed using diesel trains due to the inability to obtain replacement fuel cells. Of the 14 Coradia iLint trains purchased by Lower Saxony, only 4 are in operation. While this may seem like a simple supply chain issue, the root cause is deeper—it not only exposes the shortcomings of hydrogen energy in transportation but also reveals structural material constraints, making its feasibility increasingly uncertain.
The Coradia iLint, once a flagship project for hydrogen mobility, uses fuel cells supplied by Cummins, leveraging the company's Hydrogenics technology in Canada and Europe. Each train is equipped with two modules of approximately 200 kW each. For such-scale fuel cells, 0.4 to 0.6 grams of platinum per kilowatt is required to meet the durability demands of railway operations, meaning each train needs about 0.2 kg of platinum. At current prices, this amounts to roughly $8,700, accounting for 5% of the fuel cell cost. While the percentage seems small, the problem becomes prominent when considering global platinum production.
Platinum is irreplaceable in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The core of a PEM fuel cell is a platinum-coated membrane. Platinum acts as a catalyst: it splits hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons, allows protons to pass through the membrane while forcing electrons to flow along an external circuit to generate electricity, and then accelerates the slow reaction of combining oxygen, protons, and electrons to form water on the other side of the membrane. These two reactions are fundamental to fuel cell operation, and platinum's unique surface chemistry enables them to proceed at a practical rate with necessary durability. Without platinum, fuel cells either fail to operate efficiently or degrade rapidly, leaving hydrogen fuel cells deeply dependent on this scarce and price-volatile metal.
Global annual platinum production is approximately 250-280 tons. Around one-third is used in automotive catalysts (mainly for diesel vehicles), a quarter in jewelry, nearly one-fifth in industrial catalysts for refining and chemical industries, and small amounts in the glass and electronics sectors. In contrast, fuel cells and electrolyzers consume only 1-2 tons per year, accounting for less than 1% of total demand.
Platinum supply remains tight. South Africa contributes about 70% of mined platinum, but local mining is plagued by power shortages, floods, strikes, and political bottlenecks. Recycling volumes are minimal—at their lowest in over a decade—leading to an annual supply deficit of approximately 31 tons. Platinum prices have climbed to an 11-year high, and lease rates have soared. Recycling barely eases the pressure: most recycled platinum comes from catalytic converters in end-of-life vehicles, while platinum in applications like fuel cells has lower recovery rates due to its fine distribution, contamination, or uneconomical extraction.
In the competition for platinum, hydrogen fuel cells are at the greatest disadvantage. Automakers spare no cost to purchase platinum to meet emission regulations; refineries cannot do without platinum catalysts and face extremely high shutdown costs; manufacturers of specialty glass and electronics have no alternative materials for high-temperature platinum tools. Only jewelry consumption may decrease with rising prices, freeing up a small amount of supply. In contrast, hydrogen fuel cells have limited demand and cost-sensitive customers.
Hydrogen energy already suffers from low energy efficiency, high operation and infrastructure costs, and weak market appeal in transportation compared to batteries. The platinum supply constraint has added to its woes. Every additional megawatt of fuel cell capacity consumes more scarce platinum, and other industries consistently outbid the hydrogen sector for this resource. The large-scale development of hydrogen mobility will only deepen its reliance on this irreplaceable, supply-limited, and long-term scarce raw material, with a bleak outlook ahead.
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