South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, has identified seven mine overburden dumps for potential extraction of rare earth elements (REEs), its Chairman and Managing Director Harish Duhan informed.
The move is in line with the Centre’s push to unlock value from coal mine waste and reduce India’s dependence on imports of critical minerals. Trace quantities of rare earth elements have been detected in overburden dumps across major coalfields, prompting scientific evaluation of their commercial viability.
“Under the guidance from the ministry of coal, we have identified seven mine dumps for rare earth elements extraction. We have started the tendering process and within a year or so we will identify which area, which mine dumps, overburden carry rare earth elements,” Duhan said.
He said SECL will undertake detailed scientific studies using advanced geophysical and geochemical techniques to determine the presence and economic feasibility of extracting REEs from overburden, the soil and rock removed and typically discarded during coal mining.
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The identified dumps are located in SECL’s operational areas in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Within a year, the company expects to finalise the most promising sites, paving the way for pilot extraction projects and potential commercial operations.
Rare earth elements are vital for high-technology sectors including electronics, renewable energy, electric vehicles and defence manufacturing. Securing domestic supplies has become a strategic priority for India amid global supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly due to China’s dominance in rare earth processing.
SECL’s initiative forms part of India’s broader strategy to achieve self-reliance in critical minerals essential for energy transition technologies and advanced manufacturing.
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