JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa holds the world’s largest reserves of platinum group metals (PGMs), which are essential to many hydrogen technologies.

Amid that background, ET Energies of the US and Isondo Precious Metals of South Africa have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and validate a next-generation proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser stack, leveraging South Africa’s PGM resources to strengthen localised hydrogen technology manufacturing and advance critical minerals beneficiation.

The collaboration underscores the strategic importance of PGMs in enabling next-generation clean energy technologies. It also demonstrates how South Africa’s mineral resources can support higher-value manufacturing and technology exports.

What is happening is that the advanced electrolyser stack engineering of  ET Energies is being combined with Isondo’s vertically integrated PGM capabilities, creating a development pathway that spans catalyst precursor production, membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) fabrication, electrochemical testing, and closed-loop PGM recovery.

News of the collaboration arises only days after South Africa’s large Valterra Platinum mining and marketing company stated in its 2025 annual reporting suite published on Friday, March 27 that “the hydrogen economy is set to be a broad demand sector with strong growth, despite some short-term challenges, as global policy becomes more supportive”.

Together, ET Energies and Isondo aim to accelerate commercialisation of high-performance PGMs-based PEM electrolyser technology up to full electrolyser production with other partners across the globe, while supporting the objectives of South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap, which emphasises industrialisation, localisation of hydrogen technologies, and value addition to the country’s critical mineral resources.

ET Energies has developed a commercial PEM electrolyser stack platform that incorporates proprietary bipolar plates, compression architecture, cooling systems, and seal technologies.

With the stack architecture reaching a high level of technical maturity, the next phase will focus on integrating advanced catalyst-coated membranes and MEAs optimised for the platform.

This phase will include structured break-in procedures and long-duration durability testing to generate field-relevant performance data ahead of pilot deployments.

Through the partnership, Isondo will provide access to automotive-standard clean-room assembly facilities and electrochemical testing infrastructure to support stack assembly, integration, and validation.

The collaboration creates a development pathway that can scale from stack-level validation toward fully integrated electrolyser systems, enabling broader industrial deployment.

By combining ET Energies’ electrolyser engineering expertise with Isondo’s capabilities in PGM processing and catalyst development, the partnership brings together complementary strengths from both countries to accelerate innovation while strengthening resilient clean energy supply chains.

Beyond stack integration, the partnership supports the development of a localised hydrogen technology ecosystem anchored in critical mineral beneficiation.

Isondo Precious Metals, which is based at the OR Tambo Industrial Development Zone east of Johannesburg, is expanding capabilities across several key areas, including:

• catalyst precursor production;
• catalyst synthesis for PEM electrolysis;
• MEA fabrication and electrochemical characterisation;
• recycling of spent catalysts and MEAs; and
• recovery and refining of PGMs for reuse in hydrogen technologies.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

By establishing closed-loop recovery pathways for PGMs, the collaboration promotes a circular economy model for hydrogen technologies, improving supply security, reducing lifecycle costs, and strengthening the long-term sustainability of electrolyser manufacturing.

“This partnership represents an important step towards building a competitive and localised hydrogen technology ecosystem,” ET Energies CEO Derek Lubie stated.

“By combining advanced stack engineering with domestic materials innovation and testing capabilities, we are positioning our technology to scale from prototype to commercial electrolyser systems while contributing to South Africa’s hydrogen industrialisation strategy,” Lubie added in the media release to Engineering News & Mining Weekly.

“South Africa holds the world’s largest reserves of platinum group metals, which are essential to many hydrogen technologies,” Isondo Precious Metals CEO Vinay Somera pointed out.

“Through this collaboration we are building an integrated value chain – from catalyst precursor production through to MEA fabrication and PGM recycling – that strengthens supply security while enabling a circular and sustainable hydrogen economy,” Somera added.

Beyond technical validation, the agreement establishes a framework for pilot-scale deployments and joint supply of electrolyser stacks, with the potential to scale toward full electrolyser system manufacturing.

The partnership supports localised production, improved cost competitiveness, and sustainable revenue generation while strengthening access to public and private clean energy funding initiatives.

Together, ET Energies and Isondo aim to deliver a high-performance PEM electrolyser platform built on South Africa’s PGM advantage, localised manufacturing, critical mineral stewardship, and circular material flows – positioning the country as a leader in hydrogen technology innovation and industrial development.