NALCO Plans ₹2,000 Crore Circular Economy Push to Extract Critical Minerals from Waste

National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO) is set to invest ₹1,500–2,000 crore in a pioneering initiative to extract critical and high-value minerals—including gallium, rare earth elements (REEs), alumina, iron, and titanium—from industrial waste like red mud and fly ash, marking one of India’s most ambitious circular economy projects. Red mud, a highly alkaline byproduct of alumina refining, poses major environmental challenges, with India generating 5 million tonnes annually. NALCO aims to turn this liability into an asset through multiple pilot plants: A 30-tonne-per-day facility to produce construction-grade bricks from red mud post-iron extraction A gallium recovery unit using indigenous tech developed with BARC and HWB, targeting semiconductor and EV supply chains A Fe-Ti alloy plant in collaboration with CSIR–IMMT A first-of-its-kind project to recover alumina and REEs from fly ash, approved by the Ministry of Mines Pilot results are expected within 10 months, after which commercial scaling will be evaluated based on viability and recovery efficiency. This move aligns with India’s strategic push to reduce import dependence on critical minerals used in clean energy, defence, and electronics. NALCO’s broader ₹30,000 crore investment plan by 2030 includes new smelters, power plants, and mine acquisitions. If successful, the initiative could transform how the metals sector views industrial waste—shifting from disposal burden to strategic resource, positioning NALCO as a global leader in sustainable, circular mineral processing.