By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : December 04, 2025 6:06 pm
Preliminary studies have confirmed the presence of rare earth elements in some of Singareni’s open-cast mines
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has entered into a significant agreement with the premier research institution, CSIR–Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), to jointly explore and extract rare earth elements and other critical minerals from coal mining waste generated across Singareni operations.
As part of this partnership, critical minerals embedded in shale, clay, sandstone, granite rocks, coal fly ash, and bottom ash in Singareni regions will be examined and extracted.
On Tuesday, in the presence of SCCL CMD N. Balram, officials from both organizations formally signed the agreement to launch this project. Balram said that while an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of critical minerals was signed in June this year, the latest agreement marks a major step toward the actual commencement of the project. He stated that the presence of critical minerals has already been identified in various materials such as overburden from open-cast mines, fly ash and bottom ash from STPP, and certain hill formations in the Singareni region.
Preliminary studies have confirmed the presence of rare earth elements in some of Singareni’s open-cast mines as well as in the fly ash generated at the Singareni Thermal Power Plant. Additionally, samples from the Durgamgutta block near Manuguru, collected by the Geological Survey of India, have also confirmed the presence of rare earth elements.
A total of 14 types of minerals have been identified in the Singareni region, including six types of light rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium, and praseodymium, and eight types of heavy rare earth elements such as yttrium, scandium, and dysprosium. Further detailed examination, analysis, assessment of economic viability, and development of extraction processes will be carried out by CSIR-IMMT.
Addressing the gathering, CSIR-IMMT Director Dr. Ramanuj Narayan stated that the prime objective is to develop indigenous technologies for extracting critical minerals from industrial waste. He called this a significant step toward ensuring India’s critical mineral security—especially for green technologies that rely on rare earth elements. He expressed confidence that this project will pave the way for economically viable mineral extraction opportunities.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Kali Sanjay, Chief Scientist and Head of Hydro & Electrometallurgy Division, CSIR-IMMT, and from SCCL, Director (P&P) K. Venkateshwarlu. ED-STPP Chiranjeevi, GM (Coordination), T. Srinivas, GM (Exploration), B. Srinivas, GM, Chintala Srinivas, and other officials participated in the programme.