Singareni Should Emerge As A Leader In Business Expansion Initiatives, Said Kishan Reddy
Coal and Mines Minister Kishan Reddy urges SCCL to diversify into critical minerals to boost India’s self-sufficiency; MoU with NFTDC to enable extraction studies.
Hyderabad: Singareni Collieries Company Limited, which has excelled in coal, thermal, and solar power sectors, should take up business expansion into the production of critical minerals and rare earth elements, said coal and mines minister G. Kishan Reddy.
Speaking on the occasion of signing a preliminary memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SCCL and the Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC), a research and development organization under the his ministry, Kishan Reddy emphasised that public sector companies must enter the field of critical minerals in line with the evolving needs of the country and contribute toward achieving self-sufficiency in this area.
He mentioned that traces of rare earth elements were found in certain open-cast mines of Singareni, in the fly ash and bottom ash generated from the Singareni Thermal Power Plant, and in some hill ranges of the erstwhile Khammam district. The MoU would greatly help in conducting further studies and developing processes to extract these elements, he added.
SCCL CMD N. Balaram stated that, as per the directions of the state and Central governments, the company had decided to enter the critical minerals sector and had appointed consultancy agencies for this purpose.
Mines joint secretary Vivek Kumar Bajpai, who participated in the event, assured that Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) would extend complete support to SCCL’s overseas expansion in this field.
SCCL directors Venkateswarlu (P&P), Gautam Potru (personnel), ED coal movement S.D.M. Subhani, and senior officials from NFTDC attended the meeting.