Flourochemicals South Africa (FSA), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and Nelson Mandela University (NMU) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to advance the Fluorochemicals Strategic Innovation Programme (FSIP).

The TIA is an agency of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The MoA formalises the development and execution of a national programme aimed at creating a domestic fluorochemicals industry, unlocking the value of South Africa’s fluorspar reserves.

FSA executive director Ivan Radebe says the FSIP is “a transformative step towards establishing an entirely new industrial value chain in South Africa”.

FSA itself is advancing the development of a 100 000 t/y fluorochemical plant, anchored by a 60 000 t/y high-purity anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (AHF) plant, at the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), in the Eastern Cape.

The AHF plant is slated for commissioning in the third quarter of 2029.

While the local market for the direct use of AHF and hydrogen fluoride remains small, it is projected to grow along with the progression of rare-earth and critical minerals processing, lithium-iron-phosphate battery production, and the pharmaceutical and refining industries.

Development and construction of the AHF plant, with an operational life of 30 years, will cost around R3-billion, says Radebe, creating an estimated 150 direct jobs and 1 050 indirect jobs.

Training, research and development will take place at NMU, as part of the FSIP, as new skills for handling and processing AHF must be developed from the bottom up, he adds.

The project team is finalising key permitting and design activities, with process and storage technology supplied by a European vendor.

The project will go to market for engineering, procurement and construction at the end of this year, on a request-for-proposal basis, says Radebe.

The AHF plant is set to be followed by further downstream and even more high-value fluorochemicals, such as fluoropolymers and fluororefrigerants, he notes.

Global demand for fluorochemicals is accelerating rapidly, driven by growth in sectors such as AI, renewable energy, battery energy storage systems, electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, nuclear energy and mineral processing.

Government policies such as the Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy and the Industrial Development Strategy are critical enablers of the establishment of a fluorochemicals industry in South Africa, which has one of the largest fluorspar reserves.



The country also has more than 50 years of fluorine chemistry research and developments within institutions such as NMU and the University of Pretoria.

Fluorochemicals have properties such as exceptional heat resistance, electrical stability and water repellence.

These properties require specific handling, know-how and intellectual property, creating high barriers to entry. 

Fluorchemicals is a $30-billion industry, with demand projected to increase exponentially.

Radebe is the founding member of FSA. He is the former MD of NTP Radioisotopes (Europe) SA, and was also asenior manager responsible for developing South Africa’s first utility-scale wind farm on behalf of Eskom.

FSA was established in 2021 by Ivan Radebe and Dimakatso Radebe to develop, own and operate commercially scaled fluorochemicals plants in South Africa.