First Quantum Minerals, a global copper company, plans to sell surplus sulfuric acid in Zambia as supply tightens, hit by both domestic constraints and disruptions to global trade routes.

The miner, Zambia’s largest copper producer, operates the Kansanshi mine, where a smelter produces sulfuric acid as a byproduct. The chemical is essential for hydrometallurgical leaching, a process that accounts for about a fifth of global copper output.

Kansanshi produced nearly 1.1 million metric tons of acid in 2025, most of which was used internally. That balance is shifting. An ongoing smelter expansion is expected to lift output beyond internal needs, allowing First Quantum to enter the market as a supplier. The move also reflects firmer regional prices, underpinned by low inventories and steady demand from copper producers.

Sulfur supply tightens across Africa

The shift comes as supply is squeezed from several directions. Disruptions to sulfur shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for raw materials used in acid production, have curtailed flows from the Middle East, a region that accounted for nearly half of Africa’s sulfur imports last year.

Local factors are adding to the strain. Two sulfuric acid-producing smelters in the region are scheduled for maintenance shutdowns this year, industry sources said, a move expected to reduce availability further. Zambia has also kept export limits in place to protect domestic supply, leaving miners with fewer sourcing options.

Together, these pressures have tightened the market, raising concerns among producers that rely on a steady supply of acid to sustain output.

Miners adapt to shifting supply dynamics

First Quantum’s plan mirrors a broader response across the region. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivanhoe Mines is preparing to sell sulfuric acid from its new smelter, which began operations late in 2025.

The facility is designed to produce about 500,000 metric tons of copper a year, along with as much as 700,000 metric tons of sulfuric acid. Even with additional supply from such projects, the market may remain tight. Demand in the DRC alone is estimated at close to 2 million metric tons annually, much of it historically met through imports.

That imbalance is raising concerns about copper production in both Zambia and the DRC, Africa’s top producers. Prolonged shortages could disrupt leaching operations, a key method used at many mines, and weigh on output in economies that depend heavily on copper exports.

The effects may also ripple beyond the region. The International Copper Study Group now expects global copper output to grow by 1.6% this year, down from an earlier estimate of 2.3%, citing setbacks in the DRC, Chile and Indonesia.

First Quantum leans on Zambia

First Quantum Minerals, which operates mines across five continents and employs about 14,500 people, remains heavily tied to Zambia. Its majority-owned Kansanshi mine near Solwezi, one of Africa’s largest copper operations, accounts for a significant share of both its output and the country’s copper production.

Financially, the group reported a net loss of $196 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared with a $23 million loss a year earlier. Adjusted loss for the quarter was $147 million.

The results reflect a difficult start to the year, marked by uncertainty linked to conflict in the Middle East and the strain on key supply chains.

Against that backdrop, the move to sell sulfuric acid offers a practical response to shifting market conditions, and a way to make use of growing output as supply gaps widen.