JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s State-owned mineral research organisation Mintek is spearheading a far-reaching research initiative into the recovery of rare-earth elements (REEs) from South Africa’s abundant reserves of discard coal and coal fly ash.

"We’re fundamentally reimagining the role of coal in the modern era by looking far beyond its traditional use as a primary energy source. We no longer see coal and its by-products as mere fuel or waste, but rather as a strategic reservoir of the very minerals that will power the global high-tech future,” Mintek CEO Dr Molefi Motuku explained in a media release to Mining Weekly on Friday, March 13.

Despite the use of the word ‘rare’ in its name, REEs are relatively abundant but seldom found in concentrated, easy-to-mine deposits.

Historically, a significant technical hurdle involving silica dissolution has stifled the dream of extracting these materials from coal waste owing to silica often leaching into the solution during traditional processing, which causes REE loss and creates a thick, gelatinous substance that halts production by clogging downstream machinery.

To bypass this obstacle, Mintek’s hydrometallurgy division has turned its focus toward coal fly ash, the fine powder left over after coal combustion.

Targeted is the extraction of a "basket" of critical mineral REEs for application alongside silica, iron, and mullite in broader industrial use. In addition to REEs, the discard reportedly also hosts vanadium, titanium, alumina, gallium, and germanium.

In a global landscape defined by the relentless race for green energy and high-tech sovereignty, REEs are used in high-efficiency wind turbines, high-performance magnets, and the microelectronics that power modern life. Demand for these minerals is creating a strategic imperative for nations to secure their own supply chains as the global economy shifts toward renewable energy and decarbonisation.

South Africa is now positioning itself to recover REEs as part of the National Critical Minerals & Metals Strategy and at the same time enable mineral beneficiation and advanced manufacturing.

“This integrated approach directly supports the South African government’s strategy by fostering local beneficiation, ensuring that the nation does not simply extract resources but processes them into high-value components,” Mintek stated. 

Mintek sees pioneering the extraction of REEs and other critical metals from coal fly ash as having the potential to anchor a new era of industrial growth.

The vision has won the support of Coaltech, which approved a compelling funding proposal from the Mintek hydrometallurgy team.

Mintek executive manager hydrometallurgy Dr Elmar Muller noted that securing this funding serves as a profound testament to the industry’s trust in Mintek’s ability to solve complex, real-world challenges.

He believes this partnership reinforces a national commitment to critical materials recovery and showcases how cross-sector collaboration can drive the South African minerals sector into a more competitive and resilient global position.

Mintek engineer and project lead Agnes Modiga expressed the belief that the project has the power to transform environmental liabilities into valuable products, while simultaneously reducing dust emissions and land contamination for local communities living near coal sites.

Beyond the immediate benefits of environmental stewardship, the initiative is designed to create new, specialised jobs and bridge a critical skills gap in the engineering sector while also stimulating local manufacture, driving industrial diversification, and creating sustainable jobs across multiple sectors, by turning waste into economic growth.

Ultimately, this work is about positioning South Africa as a global pioneer in the sustainable utilisation of coal-related materials, proving that the waste of the past can indeed power the innovations of the future, added Mintek, which specialises in mineral and metallurgical innovation.