NALCO launches pilot plant to recover rare earths from fly ash

National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has inaugurated an indigenous pilot plant in Bhubaneswar to process bituminous coal fly ash. The facility, which has a capacity of 50 kg per day, aims to recover multiple value-added products from industrial waste, including alumina, calcium silicate for ceramics, quartz residue for glassmaking, and iron hydroxide residue enriched with rare earth elements such as scandium.

The pilot plant was developed through a collaboration between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), and NALCO, with support from the Ministry of Mines. The technology utilizes a jointly patented process designed for the holistic utilization of coal fly ash.

Additionally, NALCO has commenced work on a new facility for bauxite residue (red mud) valorisation. This proposed plant will focus on recovering metallic iron, ferro-titanium alloy, and rare earth elements from red mud to advance the productive use of industrial residues.