Anglo Platinum says it is targeting the development of a potentially significant sector of platinum demand with the creation of a new fuel-cell joint venture, Clean Energy Investments.

The affiliate, created in July by Angloplat, US fuel-cell specialist Altergy Systems and South Africa's Department for Science and Technology, is aimed at developing new applications of the cells, from cellphone batteries to back-up generators.

It will focus on the sub-Saharan African market, which has run into significant power problems in recent years as demand grows faster than generating capacity.

"It is potentially a very large platinum demand segment," said Anthea Bath, Angloplat's head of market development and research.

"We don't see it as a short-term demand growth driver, but over the long term it will have a role to play.

"Long term, it is an important part of our business," she said, without providing financial details.

Anglo Platinum, which is majority owned by diversified miner Anglo American, is the world's largest platinum miner, with output of 2.452million ounces in the past full year, representing about 40% of global platinum supply.

The white metal is a key catalyst in fuel cells, which chiefly create electricity through a reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Water is a by-product.

According to platinum-group metals refiner Johnson Matthey, demand for platinum for use in fuel cells rose last year at a time when overall consumption of the metal was falling, although the overall market segment remained small.

Bath said she hoped Clean Energy would start construction of a factory to produce fuel cells within the next two to three years, as part of its strategy to develop fuel-cell technology for the southern African market.

Bath said that while fuel cells were already being used in many niche areas, were was no widespread commercialisation.

"Once they start getting full volume, they are going to become much more affordable, and then start gaining traction," she said.

Bath said she hoped to see more mainstream usage of fuel cells over the next decade in areas such as telecoms and transportation.

"The African market is the fastest-growing telecommunications market in the world," she said. "So clearly there is an opportunity.

"A fuel cell is a very environmentally friendly technology. Cars are very important - an ideal eco car will be a fuel-cell car."

Fuel cell-powered generators were likely to be particularly attractive to the sub-Saharan African market, where some industrial and other facilities were far from conventional power sources, she said.