Hindustan Zinc Ltd, a Vedanta group firm, will set up a 10 million tonnes per annum tailings reprocessing plant at Rampura Agucha, Rajasthan, with an investment of up to ₹3,823 crore.
The plant, expected to be completed in 28 months, is India’s first zinc tailings reprocessing facility and part of the company’s plan to double production capacity.
Tailings, usually treated as waste, will be reprocessed to extract residual metals like zinc and silver, turning waste into valuable resources.
Vedanta group firm Hindustan Zinc Ltd on Monday said its board has approved a plan to set up a 10 million tonnes per annum tailings reprocessing plant with an investment of up to ₹3,823 crore.
The new unit, which is expected to be completed in 28 months, will be set up as part of the company's plan to double its production capacity.
In a statement the company said that "its board has approved the establishment of India's first zinc tailings reprocessing plant at Rampura Agucha, Bhilwara district, Rajasthan".
Tailings are the finely ground remnants left after mineral extraction. While these are considered as waste, they have plenty of residual metals and minerals. The reprocessing unit will extract metals like zinc and silver from previously processed tailings transforming what was once considered waste, into valuable resources, the company said.
"We are proud to launch India's first tailings reprocessing plant at Rampura Agucha, developed in partnership with global experts. This facility enables us to reprocess historical waste and store it responsibly, in line with high environmental standards.
"Modern tailing operations also create opportunities to innovate and recover a broader range of metals that are important for technological progress and the energy transition," Hindustan Zinc Chief Executive Officer Arun Misra said.
Earlier this year, the board approved the first phase of investments aimed at doubling the company's production capacity.
The company said it also plans to expand refined metal capacity by 250 kilo tonnes per annum and upgrading mines and milling infrastructure across multiple locations, with an investment of nearly ₹12,000 crore.
The expansions are strategically aligned with the country's projected doubling of zinc demand over the next five to 10 years, driven by major investments in infrastructure and the steel sector, it said.
