NLC India (NLCIL) has announced that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI), Karaikudi, to foster collaboration in the field of critical and strategic minerals beneficiation and extraction technologies.
The MoU was signed by I.S. Jasper Rose, Executive Director (Mines and Land), NLCIL, and Dr. K. Ramesha, Director, CSIR-CECRI, in the presence of Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman and Managing Director, NLCIL; Dr. Suresh Chandra Suman, Director (Mines), NLCIL; Samir Swarup, Director (HR), NLCIL and Rajesh Pratap Singh Sisodia, Director (Planning and Projects) and (Power) Addl. Charge, NLCIL.
NLCIL has been actively pursuing opportunities in the exploration and development of critical and strategic minerals from both primary and secondary sources. The Chairman and Managing Director of NLCIL is a member of the committee constituted by NITI Aayog to examine the potential recovery of critical and strategic minerals from secondary resources such as overburden, lignite/coal, mine waste, and tailings. As part of this initiative, NLCIL has undertaken extensive studies on the occurrence and recovery potential of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and other trace elements from secondary source materials, stated the company.
Under this MoU, detailed studies will be undertaken on overburden materials and tailings generated from NLCIL’s Neyveli Mines to assess the potential for the extraction and recovery of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and other trace elements. The collaboration will also explore similar opportunities across other mining and exploration projects of NLCIL, with the objective of developing sustainable and economically viable technologies for resource recovery from secondary sources.
Commenting on the development, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman and Managing Director, NLC India, emphasised that the collaboration between NLCIL and CSIR-CECRI would strengthen research efforts towards the beneficiation and extraction of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and other critical minerals associated with overburden, tailings, and other secondary resources. He noted that the partnership would facilitate the development of innovative and sustainable technologies for unlocking the value of these resources and contribute to the objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission.
Dr. K. Ramesha, Director, CSIR-CECRI, expressed confidence that this strategic partnership would lead to meaningful research outcomes and technological advancements in the field of critical and strategic minerals, thereby supporting India’s efforts towards resource security and self-reliance in critical mineral supply chains.
