PGM catalyst and chemicals intelligence
Bespoke research
Industrial research and analysis from an expert team
SFA (Oxford) assists clients in finding new profitable opportunities for PGMs, identifying new areas of global demand beyond the familiar and well-supplied markets by providing detailed regional insights of the major players, market shares, demand volumes, and market value for automotive, chemical and petrochemical catalysts, pharmaceutical catalysts and APIs, fuel cell materials and photovoltaic sectors to capitalise on new business development opportunities. We believe that in order to support our clients in maintaining their commercial advantage, it is important to identify products and applications which mesh with global trends, including environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, especially where underpinned by strong legislative drivers.
Caste studies
Precious metals chemicals industry — commissioned by a major chemicals company
Evaluating players, metal use, and business opportunities
SFA (Oxford) undertook a detailed strategic intelligence report on the precious metals chemicals markets, including PGM demand volumes and market value by segment and region, as well as the competitive landscape.
Global reconciliation of PGM flows through the open and closed-loop industries for a major fabricator
Full precious metals loop analysis, covering the full value chain for platinum, palladium and rhodium, quantifying open- and closed-loop demand, system losses and recycling volumes
SFA (Oxford) provided a yearly snapshot of the PGM industry, detailing PGM volumes defined by the stream, including mining, consumption, precious metals in the loop (recycling volumes) and stocks. A high-level overview of the recycling sector covered key players and industrial segments, and the linkages and metal flow between each.
A detailed assessment of mining and secondary concentrates, chemical, and petrochemical, jewellery, dental, medicine, glass, electronic, production scrap and magnetic data storage sectors were covered. The SFA team calculated installed industrial capacities of PGM, top-up requirements, major players and replacement cycles to complete a concise picture of the PGM markets.
Market study on closed-loop spent industrial catalysts
Assessing global trends in closed-loop industrial catalysts for recycling opportunities
Working with a significant player in catalyst processing, SFA was commissioned to conduct a global study on industrial closed-loop PGM demand trends for petroleum, petrochemical and chemical catalysts on a regional basis. The study covered sector volumes, the competitive landscape, technological developments, and major consumers by company. In addition, regional indicative commercial terms helped evaluate the most lucrative spent catalyst feed sources for processing.
Assessing the mainstream petrochemical markets, SFA assessed PGM catalysts used in paraxylene (PX), vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), propane dehydrogenation (PDH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and caprolactam. SFA also analysed the catalytic reforming and isomerisation sectors, nitric acid, acetic acid and oxo-alcohols markets.
Let us map out your PGM markets
Contact one of our team for more details.
Henk de Hoop
Chief Executive Officer
Beresford Clarke
Managing Director: Technical & Research
Jamie Underwood
Principal Consultant
Other PGM consulting solutions
Explore other services our clients use regularly.
Macroeconomics and precious metals
For many years, SFA's extensive expertise in analysing the changing dynamics of global economies, financial markets and precious metals has enabled us to deliver bespoke research to enhance your next strategy.
Automotive powertrains and PGM demand
SFA delivers detailed insights into the effects of new automotive technologies on PGM demand for light-duty, heavy-duty, off-road and fuel cell vehicles to meet government emission targets.
The future of cities and mobility solutions
SFA has advised mobility companies with their strategies, providing global or local industry context, benchmarking competitors, creating industry scenarios and identifying new opportunities.
PGM purchasing and new customer targets
SFA has explored the purchasing dynamics between market participants, the complexity of the associated price web factors for platinum, palladium and rhodium, providing definitive answers to commercial questions.
Emerging technologies – opportunities and threats
SFA is constantly monitoring the evolution of emerging technologies and threats to new metal substitution. Let us cut through the noise, and highlight the short to long-term price risk impacts for your business.
Long-term PGM recycling value chain assessments
SFA's discreet work with recyclers gives us unique market insights, for the major regions of the USA, Europe, China and Japan. We also closely monitor jewellery recycling, electronic scrap and spent catalysts.
Jewellery pipeline mapping and econometrics
SFA has mapped jewellery pipelines, examined costs and margins, quantified future demand levels, and analysed the competitor landscape of fabricators, wholesalers, and retailers for future investment decision-making.
PGM trade flows and stock reconciliation
SFA analyses the physical movements of PGMs for demand-side and supply-side participants, how futures contracts are priced and traded, and quantifies above-ground PGM stocks from key sectors.
Closed and open-loop PGM market evaluation
SFA can provide you with the most insightful 360-degree research covering the secret closed-loop market sectors by quantifying installed capacities, system losses and top-up requirements by company and sector.
Formulating regional trading desk strategies
SFA has significant experience mapping regional and localised end-use markets for PGMs to assist clients in discovering new trading opportunities and client targets by volume and sector.
Augmented mine business planning and risk analysis
SFA has significant experience in reviewing mine business plans, identifying production risks and reviewing costs down to a half-level basis.
Due diligence studies and PGM commercial advisory
Working with clients and third parties, SFA has a long track record of providing technical due diligence and financial modelling support to help secure funding.
PGM mergers, acquisitions, and corporate defence
Clients have used SFA to provide the analytical link with banks and financial institutions to support PGM investment decision-making and provide market support.
IPO market chapters and PGM feasibility studies
SFA has supported numerous client listings by providing an independent view of the PGM markets to help secure capital from potential investors.
Peer-group benchmarking and margin analysis
Our PGM peer-group benchmarking is unrivalled, providing you with a detailed understanding of which assets are outperforming and which are most at risk.
Mine optimisation and cost benchmarking
SFA realises cost synergies for PGM clients across company operations to help raise margins and improve production efficiency benchmarks.
Covid-19 PGM market analysis and scenarios
With extensive experience covering the PGM markets and industry fundamentals, SFA can provide you with our latest market outlook and the window of scenarios.
Human capital and organisational planning
The SFA team has completed many labour workforce projects, analysing demographic trends, forecasting future labour requirements across mining operations.
PGM strategy, planning and Board support
SFA is a trusted advisor to Board members and senior management of significant stakeholders and provides regular assistance to strategy and planning efforts.
PGM price forecasting and project incentive pricing
SFA can provide accurate short-, medium- and long-term PGM price forecasts to support your business plans and contract negotiations.
PGM markets and supply risk dashboards
SFA provides regular data flows of mine supply and metallurgical pipelines, basket prices, mine economics, and PGM demand to assist strategic decision-making.
Metallurgical processing and commercial options
SFA has extensive experience in assessing clients' advanced mineral processing offtake options and evaluating indicative commercial terms.
'Black-box' PGM and macro scenario modelling
Clients approach SFA to run their own supply and macro modelling demand inputs to see the impact this has on the medium- to long-term PGM market balances.
PGM investor Board packs and roadshows
SFA supports its clients on global roadshows to assist on capital raisings and converse with fund managers, institutional investors and family wealth officers.
Black swan events and PGM market impacts
The SFA team is constantly providing rich insights for its clients on structural events moving the PGM markets, particularly when the situation continues to change.
Corporate ESG strategy and PGM stewardship
SFA works closely with value chain players to understand how materially significant ESG issues can be integrated into their wider company strategy.
Peer-group ESG benchmarking for PGMs
SFA's benchmarking of PGM producers on material ESG factors generates high-resolution insights for sustainability-conscious investors.
Cradle-to-grave ESG recycling studies
SFA's analysis of environmental footprints from recycled material in terms of greenhouse gases, waste generation and processing is helping secure new investments.
How can we help you?
SFA (Oxford) provides bespoke, independent intelligence on the strategic metal markets, specifically tailored to your needs. To find out more about what we can offer you, please contact us.