SCCL Mines Gold From Ash: Rare Earth Pilot Plant Launched

Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has partnered with the Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC) to establish a rare earth elements (REE) processing pilot plant. The facility, to be set up in Kothagudem, will focus on extracting REEs from overburden, fly ash, and other waste materials generated from SCCL’s coal mining and thermal power operations.

Preliminary studies have already detected traces of rare earths in these by-products. The pilot project will assess the commercial viability of large-scale extraction, with the plant’s expansion depending on the concentration and economic feasibility of the identified elements.

The collaboration was formalised through an agreement signed between SCCL and NFTDC officials on 23 October 2025.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.