Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has signed an agreement with the CSIR–Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT) to explore and extract rare earth elements and other critical minerals from coal mining waste across its operational areas. The pact, formalised in the presence of SCCL chairman and managing director N. Balram, covers mineral recovery from shale, clay, sandstone, granite, coal fly ash and bottom ash in the Singareni regions.

The agreement follows an initial memorandum of understanding signed in June, officially launching the project. Balram noted that rare earth elements have been confirmed in overburden from open-cast mines, in fly ash and bottom ash from the Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP), and in hill formations formed from waste. Samples from the Durgamgutta block near Manuguru, analysed by the Geological Survey of India, also verified these deposits.

Preliminary studies have identified 14 minerals — six light rare earths such as lanthanum, cerium and praseodymium, and eight heavy rare earths including yttrium, scandium and dysprosium. CSIR-IMMT will now undertake detailed analysis, assess economic feasibility and develop extraction processes using indigenous and environmentally friendly technologies.

The collaboration supports government priorities to reduce reliance on imports and diversify SCCL beyond coal. CSIR-IMMT director Dr Ramanuj Narayan emphasised the need for homegrown extraction technologies to boost India’s self-reliance in critical minerals needed for green and high-tech applications. He described the initiative as a step toward national mineral security and scalable extraction models.

The agreement was signed by Dr Kali Sanjay, chief scientist and head of hydro and electrometallurgy at IMMT, and SCCL director (P&P) K. Venkateshwarlu. Senior officials including Chiranjeevi, ED-STPP T. Srinivas, GM (Coordination) B. Srinivas, GM (Exploration), and Chintala Srinivas, GM, were also present.