The state of Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India is reportedly planning to open its mineral-rich coastline region to rare earth beach sand mining in a bid to reduce its reliance on Chinese imports.
According to a report in one of the country’s news outlets the Daily Excelsior, state-run miner Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) identified numerous heavy mineral-bearing deposits in its coastal districts that could make it a sources for titanium dioxide, titanium metal and rare earth processing.
APMDC, the report said, has outlined that the state has almost 25% of India’s beach sand mineral resources, the second highest in the country, and has deposits of ilmenite, rutile, zircon and monazite.
As the Excelsior noted, China controls over half of global titanium mineral production and more than 90% of rare earth processing capacity. Currently, India imports more than 75% of its titanium dioxide pigment requirements, much of it from China.
Demand for rare earth permanent magnets in India, the outlet reported, is projected to grow at over 15% annually, and overall demand is expected to double by 2030.
APMDC, then, has since secured approvals for 10 major beach sand deposits across coastal districts, including Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Krishna. It comprises thousands of hectares and tens of millions of metric tons of heavy mineral reserves, the miner said in a recent presentation, with additional blocks at various stages of development and regulatory clearance.
Officials said the deposits are being viewed not just as mining assets but as the base for a full value chain spanning mineral separation, refining and advanced manufacturing of titanium and rare earth-based products, the outlet reported.
The state’s industrial ecosystem is expected to support the plan.
The state of Andhra Pradesh has six operational ports with a combined cargo handling capacity of more than 330 million metric tons.
Source: https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/andhra-to-open-coastline-for-rare-earth-mining-eyes-china-import-cut/