Not just iron ore, rare earth elements also found in Vidarbha

MECL is also prospecting for REEs in the region and other parts of the country.

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Amid a global race for rare earth elements (REE) and critical minerals, Vidarbha is emerging as a hub for these new-age resources. In Gadchiroli, which is known for its iron ore deposits, traces of lead and zinc have also been found. The state govt auctioned a block for lead and zinc exploration at Jingao in Gadchiroli, which has been bagged by a private company. Another private player got a mining licence for a tungsten block at Kuhi in Nagpur district this year. Public sector miner Coal India also acquired a block having REEs in Ramtek near Nagpur. Lead and tungsten are critical minerals. REEs include a series of minerals like lithium beryllium, potassium barium and so on.

This details came up during the discussion at a technical session at the Advantage Vidarbha Khasdar Audyogik Mahotsav on Sunday.

“CIL subsidiary Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) also found traces of nearly a dozen REEs, including some of the very rare ones,” said Hemant Pande, director (Human Resources) of WCL adding, “WCL will issue tenders for exploration of REEs in six more mines.”

The REEs were found in the overburden, which is the earth dug out for extracting coal. So far, the overburden was placed in dumps. However, with the recent stress on REEs, WCL is also looking for traces in the overburden.

The earlier samples have been sent to the Non-Ferrous Technology Development Centre (NDTDC) for further examination. “Based on the results, WCL plans to go ahead with the exploration of REEs found in its overburden,” said Pande.

REEs and critical minerals are in focus, especially due to the emergence of electric vehicles. They are used in the defence sector too, said experts during the session.

Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL) is also prospecting for REEs in the region and other parts of the country. The company, which has its headquarters in Nagpur, is also working on lithium exploration overseas, said its CMD Indra Dev Narayan.