Innovation · Free brief · DRAFT
Pyrite-to-Acid: Could South Africa's Coal Waste Ease the Acid Shortage?
By AfriLens Intelligence · Data as of 14 October 2026 · Target keyword: pyrite sulphuric acid South Africa
UCT estimates coal-waste pyrite could yield up to 0.8 Mt/yr of acid in SA. The opportunity, the open questions, and who should watch it.
The idea: recover acid from pyrite in coal waste
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The size of the prize (UCT Minerals to Metals Initiative): up to 0.8 Mt/yr, ~1.4 Mt/yr if discard dumps are reprocessed
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In context: against SA's ~11 Mt/yr acid use
The acid-mine-drainage co-benefit
What's not yet established: capex, atmospheric emission licences, offtake economics
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Other local substitutes under discussion (more SO₂ capture at smelters; HCl for some uses) and their chemical limits
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Why it matters more in a prolonged-disruption scenario (Scenario C)
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Who should be watching: coal producers, chemical makers, fertiliser producers, investors
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How this was made. Compiled by the AfriLens research desk from cited sources, cross-verified against independent sources, numbers re-checked against source tables and editorially reviewed. See the methodology. Corrections log.
Next steps
- "Exploring a localisation project? Commission a desk-based market and regulatory scan" → /rapid-scan; secondary → /sulphur
- Flagship: Africa's Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid Squeeze 2026
- Sector hub: Innovation research
Information only; not investment, legal or procurement advice.