Page 134 - CW E-Magazine (8-7-2025)
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Top Stories
NEW AVENUES
Vedanta subsidiary to invest in rare earth processing
and magnet-making facility
Vedanta group company Runaya – a
zero waste, zero discharge aluminium
processing entity – will invest nearly
Rs. 1,000-Rs. 1,200-crore, with 25-33% of
this, or Rs. 300-Rs. 500-crore, being set
aside for setting up rare earth element
(REE) processing and magnet-making
facilities.
The remaining capex will be used
towards capacity doubling of existing
recycling facilities to 200-ktpa (from
100-ktpa) over a two-year period. ponent in EV-making, wind mills, de- capabilities. The country’s Mines
fence, and in some other sectors. India’s Ministry is planning a Rs. 1,500-crore
According to Jagannath Prasad, auto sector has been badly hit, with incentive-based scheme, pushing for
CEO, Green Aluminium Recovery & China – the largest supplier – imposing the setting up of critical mineral pro-
Diversifi ed Metal Recovery Business, export restrictions on these magnets cessing facilities. It will be backed by
Runaya, the company is “seriously evalu- beginning April, which has led to a capex support, fi nance cost relaxation,
ating” the REE project. It could look supply shortage. Stocks are limited, and taxation benefi ts, etc.
at a joint venture with an international India is scrambling for supply chain
partner, a tech transfer or a partnership, arrangements. Runaya’s parent entity, Vedanta,
to take the project forward. Details are and its subsidiaries are among the en-
being worked out, and discussions are Indian imports are around 3,600 tities that have won REE and critical
underway with international players. tonnes, with nearly 870 tonnes com- mineral blocks in India. “We are mostly
ing from auto-makers. REE mining in into processing for the value-added
The metal recycling start-up, esta- India is around 2,900 tonnes, primarily segment, as against Vedanta, which is
blished in 2017, was co-founded by by India Rare Earth Ltd. (IREL), mostly pure-play mining,” Mr. Prasad
Annanya and Naivedya Agarwal, sons a Department of Atomic Energy PSU, said.
of Navin Agarwal, the Vice-Chairman and a part of this production is sold to
of Vedanta Ltd. Japanese auto-major Toyota. Ironically, The mineral recycler is expected
the country has the third largest REE to fi nalise its REE processing plan
REE magnet supply shortage reserves in the world – 690,000 tonnes – and partnership by “either FY26-end or
REE magnets are a critical com- but lacks mining tech and processing early FY27”.
INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY
BatX Energies gets TDB support to develop battery
recycling technology
The Technology Development generation of battery grade materials and manganese from end-of-life
Board (TDB), Department of Science & and value addition through closed loop.” lithium-ion batteries.
Technology (DST), Government of The project focuses on the commer-
India, has extended fi nancial support to cialisation of an indigenous, sustain- BatX Energies has developed a pro-
Gurugram-based BatX Energies for able battery recycling process to extract prietary low-temperature, low-pres-
the project titled “Technologies for battery-grade lithium, cobalt, nickel, sure hydrometallurgical process that is
134 Chemical Weekly July 8, 2025
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