Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has announced plans to establish a rare earth minerals processing unit within the Singareni region. This initiative forms part of the company's broader business diversification efforts. An agreement has been finalized between SCCL and the Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC) to secure technical support for the project.
The first phase involves the construction of a pilot plant at Kothagudem. This facility will be used to identify rare earth elements present in overburden, fly ash, and other waste materials generated from SCCL's coal mining and thermal power generation operations. The ultimate scale of the full-fledged processing plant will be determined by the percentage and commercial viability of the rare earth elements identified during this experimental phase. Preliminary research has already indicated the presence of certain rare earth elements in the targeted waste materials.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/singareni-to-set-up-rare-earth-elements-processing-unit-with-nftdc-help/article70194994.ece