SCCL ready to venture into critical minerals production: CMD

In Ramagundam Open Cast Mine-II and the Singareni Thermal Power Plant, both fly ash and bottom ash samples revealed the presence of light and heavy REEs.

Hyderabad: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is fully prepared to enter the field of critical mineral production, either independently or through joint ventures with other organizations, as part of its efforts to meet national needs and expand its business, said SCCL Chairman and Managing Director N. Balaram.

Speaking at the national-level conference on critical minerals organised by the Ministry of Mines in New Delhi on Friday, Balaram outlined SCCL’s future plans.

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He emphasized that the company is set to play a prominent role in the critical minerals sector and pointed out that preliminary studies have indicated the presence of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in coal and overburden layers within Singareni mines. These findings present opportunities for critical mineral production.

He stated that fly ash generated from power production at the Singareni Thermal Power Plant was analyzed at the IMMT laboratories in Bhubaneswar, which confirmed the presence of REEs. Additionally, critical minerals and REEs have been observed in forest areas of Kalluru in Khammam district. Carbonatites are believed to be the primary source of rare earth elements and niobium, he added.

In Ramagundam Open Cast Mine-II and the Singareni Thermal Power Plant, both fly ash and bottom ash samples revealed the presence of light and heavy REEs.

Notably, 14 types of elements, including Cerium, Lanthanum, Neodymium, Praseodymium, Gadolinium, Dysprosium, and Lutetium were identified. Research conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad, also discovered Vanadium, Strontium, and Zirconium in the Ramagundam Open Cast Mine-II.

Balaram said the Telangana state government has been providing full support and encouragement to SCCL’s move into the critical minerals sector. In this context, SCCL plans to soon establish a Geoscience Laboratory to identify and analyze the presence of critical minerals.

He further revealed that SCCL has already held discussions with NMDC and other organizations to pursue this goal. Talks were also held with a delegation from the Queensland Government, Australia, on jointly participating in critical mineral production. In line with the nation’s objective of self-reliance in this sector, SCCL is open to collaborating with both public and private sector organizations and is willing to form joint ventures.

To support this initiative, SCCL has appointed Deloitte as a consultant for strategic advice and planning. The company also expressed readiness to participate in the upcoming critical minerals auctions being organised by the central government.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, who also attended the event, highlighted the urgent need for India to achieve self-reliance in the critical minerals sector.

He urged existing mining companies to diversify into this important field. The conference was also attended by officials from Coal India and other major mineral production companies who shared their views on the subject.