Jamshedpur (Mail News Service): In a major step towards sustainable resource recovery and critical minerals development, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML) has signed an agreement with National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) to scale up its indigenously developed red mud recycling technology to a 10-tonne-per-day (TPD) pilot plant.
The collaboration aims to recover iron, alumina, titania, scandium oxide, and other valuable and critical metals from red mud, also known as bauxite residue—a major industrial waste generated during alumina production. The initiative addresses both the growing global demand for scandium and the long-standing environmental challenge of red mud disposal.
The process was initially developed at CSIR-NML on a 200 kg scale, with support from NITI Aayog, which identified red mud as a potential domestic source of scandium. Globally, nearly 140 million tonnes of bauxite residue are produced every year, of which only about 3 percent is currently utilised, mainly in cement and iron production.
India alone generates over 5 million tonnes of red mud annually, containing 45–70 ppm of scandium. The CSIR-NML process enables the recovery of alumina and iron while producing a rare earth element (REE) concentrate, which can serve as feedstock for scandium extraction. Scandium is a high-value metal with critical applications in aerospace, fuel cells, lasers, MIG aircraft, 3D printing, and advanced garnet materials.
This marks the first such integrated red mud recycling and scandium recovery initiative in India, positioning NALCO to take significant strides in red mud remediation while strengthening India’s presence in the global rare earth and critical minerals supply chain.
Agreement Signed in Bhubaneswar
The agreement was signed on January 6, 2026, at the NALCO office in Bhubaneswar in the august presence of B.P. Singh, CMD, NALCO; Jagdish Arora, Director (Technical); S.P. Mohapatra, Head (R&D); and Vinod Verma, Manager (R&D), NALCO.
From CSIR-NML, Dr. S.K. Pal, Head (Business Development), along with Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Dr. Abhilash, Dr. Pratima Meshram, and Dr. N.S. Randhawa were present.
The partnership is expected to play a transformative role in sustainable aluminium production, waste valorisation, and critical mineral security, reinforcing India’s push towards circular economy and strategic resource independence.
