Promising Rare Earth Element Reserves Discovered In Madhya Pradesh Coalfields

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Aug 2 (KNN) Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy announced to Parliament on Monday that promising reserves of rare earth elements have been identified in the Singrauli coalfields of Madhya Pradesh.

The minister made this disclosure while responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha regarding mineral exploration activities in the region.

Rare earth elements constitute a group of metallic elements, including scandium and yttrium, that play crucial roles in modern technology applications.

These materials are essential components in clean energy technologies, electronics manufacturing, electric vehicle production, and various industrial processes, making their discovery strategically significant for India's technological and economic development.

The research initiative has been spearheaded by Coal India Ltd, which has undertaken comprehensive research and development projects focused on rare earth elements present in coal mine waste materials.

This approach represents an innovative method of resource extraction that could potentially transform waste products into valuable commodities.

According to Minister Reddy's parliamentary statement, the appraisal results from Gondwana Sediments, which include coal, clay, shale, and sandstone formations in the Singrauli coalfield, demonstrate promising concentrations of rare earth elements.

The assessment revealed an enrichment of 250 parts per million on a whole coal basis in coal samples, while non-coal samples showed even higher concentrations at 400 parts per million.

The minister emphasised that the economic viability of extracting these rare earth elements will be contingent upon technological advancements and the achievement of economies of scale in production processes. This qualification highlights the complex nature of rare earth element extraction and the need for continued research and development in extraction methodologies.

Additional findings from assessments conducted in the North Eastern Region Coalfield present a different profile of rare earth element distribution.

While the total rare earth element content in this region is comparatively low, the proportion of heavy rare earth elements is notably high, which could have particular industrial significance given the specialised applications of heavy rare earth elements.

Development efforts are currently underway to establish indigenous technology capabilities for extracting critical minerals, including rare earth elements, from the overlying strata of northeastern coalfields.

The research objectives encompass the creation of enrichment methods for critical metals from non-coal strata utilising physical separation techniques, as well as the development of extraction methods for these metals from non-coal strata and acid mine drainage through ion-exchange resin technology.

(KNN Bureau)

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