Page 134 - CW E-Magazine (8-7-2025)
P. 134

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


                                      Contents    Index to Advertisers    Index to Products Advertised
   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139