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India's Fly Ash Becomes Rare Earth Goldmine!
14 Jun
Summary
- NLC India plans to extract rare earth elements from fly ash.
- The pilot project is expected to be awarded within two months.
- Lutetium, a high-value metal, is among the identified rare earths.
NLC India is advancing a groundbreaking project to extract rare earth elements from fly ash, a byproduct of its lignite-based power stations in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu. This initiative, developed with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), aims to establish India's first domestic source of strategic minerals.
The pilot project is currently in the tendering phase, with NLC India anticipating awarding the contract within the next two months. This is a crucial step towards reducing the country's reliance on imports for critical materials essential for clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
Significant investments are anticipated, with the pilot project estimated at ₹600 crore. If successful, commercial-scale operations could require over ₹5,000 crore. The fly ash contains valuable elements like lutetium, used in nuclear medicine, and others such as neodymium and praseodymium, vital for electric vehicles and wind turbines.
