Archive · 19 Aug 2026
NALCO Launches Industrial Residue Recovery Pilot Plants With Research Partners
NALCO has opened a small testing plant in Bhubaneswar.
The plant uses coal fly ash, a leftover material from burning coal.
It aims to turn this residue into useful products such as alumina, materials for ceramics and quartz for possible glassmaking.
It may also collect rare earth elements, including scandium.
NALCO and research institutions developed the process together.
A second pilot plant is planned to work with red mud, another industrial leftover.
That plant could recover iron, ferro-titanium alloy and rare earth elements.
The projects are intended to help use resources more efficiently and support important mineral supplies.
NALCO inaugurated a 50-kilogram-per-day pilot plant in Bhubaneswar to process bituminous coal fly ash.
The facility was designed by CSIR-IMMT and KIIT with support from NALCO, CSIR and the Union ministry of mines.
The jointly patented process can recover alumina, calcium silicate, quartz residue and iron hydroxide enriched with rare earth elements.
NALCO also held a ground-breaking ceremony for a pilot plant to recover materials from bauxite residue, or red mud.
The projects aim to support critical mineral security, resource efficiency, commercialisation and the circular economy.
- Who
- National Aluminium Company Limited, CSIR-IMMT, KIIT, CSIR and the Union ministry of mines are involved; NALCO CMD Brijendra Pratap Singh inaugurated the plant.
- What
- NALCO inaugurated a pilot plant for processing bituminous coal fly ash and held a ground-breaking ceremony for a red mud valorisation pilot plant.
- When
- The inauguration and ground-breaking ceremony were held on Tuesday.
- Where
- NALCO Research & Technology Centre, Bhubaneswar.
- Why
- To develop commercially viable ways to valorise industrial residues, recover critical minerals and support resource efficiency and the circular economy.
- Fly ash plant capacity
- 50 kilograms per day
- Fly ash outputs
- Alumina, calcium silicate, quartz residue and iron hydroxide residue enriched in rare earth elements
- Process origin
- A jointly patented process developed by CSIR-IMMT and NALCO
- Red mud plant targets
- Ferro-titanium alloy, metallic iron and rare earth elements
- Research partners
- CSIR-IMMT and KIIT, with support from NALCO, CSIR and the Union ministry of mines
- Potential applications
- Ceramics, glassmaking, permanent magnets, electric mobility, renewable energy, electronics and defence