By Nelendhre Moodley.
Underpinning the world’s transition to a clean energy system is the need for critical metals, such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, to support clean energy technologies. Modern Mining recently spoke to Professor Glen Nwaila, director of the Wits Mining Institute (WMI) about the institution’s progress in developing its Critical Minerals Catalogue.
According to Professor Nwaila, South Africa is establishing a Critical Minerals Framework for the country, with the WMI developing a Critical Minerals Catalogue.
Developing the Critical Minerals Framework involves collaboration between various government agencies, centres of excellence, mining firms and academic institutions. Key stakeholders include the Department of Minerals and Energy (DMRE), Council for Mineral Technology (Mintek), Council for Geoscience (CGS), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and other alliance partners.
“At this stage,” he says, “South Africa has a working draft related to policy formulation.”
The national Critical Minerals Framework draft is currently in the commentary and consultative processes, while the WMI Critical Minerals Catalogue is targeting completion by December 2025.
“The Wits Mining Institute (WMI),” says Prof. Nwaila, “through its Sibanye-Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (DigiMine) and associated research centres, initiated the establishment of a critical raw materials catalogue from the research principles of data compiled. We enriched the data layers with specific objectives that are aligned with the quantification and downstream applications of critical minerals. The research data will help inform evidence-based policy formulation.”
According to Prof. Nwaila, South Africa, like many other Global South countries, has a unique blend of economic, social, and environmental challenges.
“This is a significant consideration for many countries that must navigate international standards and pressures while ensuring that domestic needs and priorities are addressed. South Africa took time to establish its critical raw materials catalogue due to the complexities of its mining sector, historical legacies, and competing economic priorities. Establishing such a catalogue would provide clarity and guidance to the mining community regarding the nation’s most essential mineral resources, thus helping streamline investments, operational decisions, and industrialisation plans.”
The professor explains that the critical raw materials catalogue involves a multi-step process including:
- Assessment of current and future demand: “This required the examination of both domestic and global markets to forecast demand for various raw materials over the short and long-term.
- Geopolitical considerations: We analysed South Africa’s position in the global supply chain and the geopolitical risks associated with sourcing/exporting each material, especially in politically unstable regions or where monopolies can dictate market conditions.
- Socio-economic considerations: Much time was spent on evaluating the socio-economic implications of critical raw material extraction, including potential for job creation, community development, and impacts on local economies. We are also assessing potential displacements or disruptions to local communities.
- Evaluation of supply vulnerabilities: We took the time to unpack and understand the vulnerabilities in the supply chain, from local disruptions to international trade tensions.
- Environmental Impact Studies: Each CRM (critical raw mineral) will require a thorough environmental assessment so we understand the ecological consequences of extraction and processing for each material.
For South Africa, the benefits of establishing a Critical Minerals Catalogue will be manifold:
- it will enhance economic opportunities for the country’s vast mineral wealth;
- increase international trade opportunities by highlighting strategic materials; and
- the potential to leverage these resources in bilateral and multilateral negotiations, ensuring both economic growth and national security.
Aside from establishing a stakeholder consultation process, WMI put in place a regular review and update mechanism to review and update the catalogue periodically, to reflect changes in technology, market demands, geopolitical scenarios, and local socio-economic conditions.
At this stage, the WMI has listed several elements and minerals considered critical based on their downstream application interest areas:
SA’s progress in fostering the development of key materials for the JET?
South Africa is making concerted efforts to foster the development of key materials for the Just Energy Transition (JET) by balancing the need for economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social justice. “However, it is also essential to continually monitor, assess, and adjust these strategies in the dynamic landscape of global energy transitions,” says Prof. Nwaila.
He goes on to explain that government has been updating its energy policies to reflect the importance of sustainability and justice:
The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a key document that outlines the country’s energy future, and recent versions have increased the allocation for renewable energy sources.
Secondly, promoting initiatives around Research & Development with institutions such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which is at the forefront of researching new energy technologies and materials, including working on improving the efficiency of solar panels, energy storage technologies, and other renewable energy innovations.
Thirdly, there is a push towards Infrastructure development for renewable energy, including developing solar and wind farms and the necessary grid infrastructure to support them.
“In looking to support local industries,” he says, “there is an emphasis on sourcing materials locally for the renewable energy sector, where feasible. This not only boosts local industries but also reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting materials. And tying in with the aspect of education and training, JET recognises the need for skilled labour in the new energy sector, with initiatives in place to train workers. This includes re-skilling workers from the coal industry to ensure they are not left behind in the transition. Moreover, given the need to invest in the development of a pipeline of critical raw materials like lithium, vanadium, and rare earth elements for the energy transition, there has been a push to explore, develop, and mine these resources responsibly and sustainably.”
Aside from international collaborations both for technology development and transfer, and to secure investments in the renewable energy sector, the country continues to collaborate with the private sector through initiatives like the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), which encourages private investment in the renewable energy sector.
Critical raw materials for the Just Energy Transition (JET)
Materials that are regarded as critical for the Just Energy Transition (JET) considerably overlap with critical raw materials. The good news is that South Africa mines a vast majority of the metals and minerals on the list.
Discussing South Africa’s capacity to produce the various key minerals for the JET, Prof. Nwaila says that while the country has several copper (Cu) mines, it is not a top global producer of the metal and might need to import copper from Zambia and the DRC to meet any significant demand.
For electrical steel (made primarily from iron-ore), South Africa is a significant producer of iron-ore and although it is not a leading global producer of nickel (Ni) it is, nevertheless, blessed with healthy nickel assets.
Resource rich South Africa is one of the top producers globally of vanadium (V) and zirconium (Zr), and a leading producer of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rd), as well as zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) aluminium (Al) and manganese (Mn).
However, for materials not produced in significant quantities locally, South Africa would need to source from international markets, including Australia and China, as well as neighbouring African countries.
Materials will include uranium (U) as well as Rare Earth Elements (Nd, Pr, Dy) and, while South Africa does have uranium mines and has historically been involved in the nuclear fuel cycle, it also produces limited quantities of rare earth elements.
“South Africa doesn’t produce significant germanium (Ge) except as a by-product in zinc ores (typically), which means that we will likely rely on imports. Moreover, there is no data available worldwide as to which country has significant germanium resources,” explains Prof. Nwaila.
Even though South Africa produces magnesium (Mg), it is not in significant quantities – China currently dominates magnesium production, the country also has a few natural graphite mines near the border with Mozambique. However, South Africa will rely largely on other countries such as Mozambique and Tanzania to supplement its natural graphite needs.
Because it is not a primary producer of lithium (Li), boron (B) or cobalt (Co), the country will likely rely on imports from countries such as Zimbabwe and Namibia for lithium and the DRC for cobalt. Few nations mine and export boron.
Production of Gallium Nitride (GaN) – a synthetic material – will depend on processing capabilities, says Prof. Nwaila. The Just Energy Transition also relies on silicon (Si), which is produced locally, and silicon carbide (SiC), another synthetic material.
For its JET needs South Africa will require Sulphur (S), Phosphorus (P), Fluorine (F), by-products of other minerals and will rely on imports.
For minor metals Tellurium (Te), Gallium (Ga) and Indium (In), tellurium will be extracted from refining copper ores and gallium and indium from zinc ores.
“The WMI will provide bursaries to students through its DigiMine, to train and cultivate the next generation of CRM industry leaders. The bursaries will be sponsored by our key sponsor Sibanye-Stillwater in accordance with the Green Energy Minerals and Technologies theme of DigiMine,” concludes Prof. Nwaila.