Coal-derived fly ash and bottom ash from Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP), as well as overburden clay samples, have been found to contain rare earth elements (REE) totaling about 400 ppm.

Meanwhile, fly ash samples from NLC India's Neyveli thermal power plants show significantly higher REE concentrations at 2,100 mg/kg, including 300 mg/kg of Yttrium—comprising both light and heavy REEs. To harness these critical elements, the Government of India approved the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) on January 29, 2025, with implementation scheduled from 2024–25 to 2030–31. A sum of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for pilot projects to recover critical minerals from industrial waste sources such as fly ash, overburden, tailings, and red mud.

Guidelines for setting up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) under the NCMM were approved on 06 April, 2025. Coal India (CIL) is conducting R&D projects assessing REE presence in coalfield regions, including the North Eastern Region and Singrauli. While REE levels are promising (250 ppm in coal, 400 ppm in non-coal), economic extraction hinges on technology and scalability.

Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL) has signed MoUs with IMMT Bhubaneswar, NFTDC Hyderabad, and IIT Hyderabad to advance REE extraction technologies. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy provided this update in a Rajya Sabha written reply.