Anglo American swims against the current in backing fuel cells

Anglo American is placing a contrarian bet on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as it tries to squeeze more profit from its platinum reserves, but risks being left behind as rival miners look to cash in on battery-powered cars. A push, particularly in Europe and China, for lower-emission transport raises the prospect of weaker demand for platinum, whose biggest industrial use is in diesel vehicles.

Other big miners are positioning themselves for the shift away from the combustion engine by betting on lithium and cobalt, both used in electric vehicle batteries. Glencore signed a major deal last October to sell 20,000 tonnes of cobalt products, a hitherto niche material whose production it dominates.

-Reuters, London