The Ministry of Mines on Wednesday issued the guidelines for setting up of Centres of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Mineral Mission to promote research and technology development in critical minerals.
Critical raw materials form the crucial supply chain for emerging sectors of clean energy and mobility transition, in addition to advanced technology and strategic sectors like electronics, defence, electric vehicles and space.
In order to develop, demonstrate and deploy technologies in an end-to-end systems approach, it is essential to conduct R&D so as to reach higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). The Centres of Excellence (CoE) will identify, develop and implement extraction process and beneficiation technologies for a host of critical minerals from multiple sources and conduct directed R&D to reach TRL 7/8 pilot plant and pre-commercial demonstration and create a competency centre, according to an official statement.
Under this new initiative, reputed academic/R&D institutions, as per eligibility prescribed, will be evaluated and recognized as CoEs for R&D in critical minerals. CoEs will undertake innovative and transformational research to strengthen and advance the nation’s science and technology capability in the area of critical minerals. CoEs will aim at undertaking cutting edge research and promoting inter-/multi-disciplinary approaches to problem solving in critical minerals domain, the statement explained.
A CoE will operate as a consortium, on a hub and spoke model, to leverage R&D in critical minerals and pooling the core competence of each constituent under one umbrella. The CoE (Hub Institute) will bring in at least two industry partners and at least two R&D/ academic partners in the consortium.
As part of the process to recognize CoEs, the Ministry will call for proposals from eligible institutes shortly, the statement added.
The Union Cabinet had approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission with an outlay of Rs.16,300 crore and expected investment of Rs.18,000 crore by public sector undertakings.
The mission aims to reduce the dependence on import of critical minerals and ensure self-reliance. Currnently China is the dominant producer of critical minerals and enjoys a near-monopoly over this crucial raw material required for advanced technology products.
The National Critical Mineral Mission encompasses all stages of the value chain, including mineral exploration, mining, processing and recovery from end-of-life products. The mission will intensify the exploration of critical minerals within the country and in its offshore areas. It aims to create a fast-track regulatory approval process for critical mineral mining projects.
Additionally, the mission will offer financial incentives for critical mineral exploration and promote the recovery of these minerals from overburden and tailings.
