Enervoxa Plans India Rare Earth Recovery Facility Using Red Mud from Aluminium Industry
Canada-based climate technology company Enervoxa is planning to establish a rare earth processing facility in India to recover rare earth elements from red mud, a by-product generated during alumina and aluminium production. The proposed project is aimed at converting industrial waste into a source of critical minerals for India's resource security and circular economy goals.
As part of its India strategy, Enervoxa is expected to initiate discussions with leading domestic aluminium producers, including Vedanta, Hindalco Industries and National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), to explore potential partnerships that could provide access to red mud generated during alumina refining.
The proposed facility would use Enervoxa's proprietary extraction technology, developed over the past eight years, to recover rare earth elements from red mud. The company is evaluating two possible processing models: completing full rare earth extraction and processing within India, or producing a rare earth concentrate for further refining at a downstream facility.
Beyond rare earth elements, the proposed plant is expected to recover other commercially valuable by-products from red mud, including iron oxide, coagulants, industrial pigments and titanium-bearing materials, as part of an integrated critical minerals value chain.
Enervoxa is currently assessing commercial opportunities in India alongside other major alumina-producing regions globally. No investment figure, site location or firm partnership has yet been confirmed. The proposed project would complement ongoing research into rare earth recovery from red mud being conducted by the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) under the guidance of NITI Aayog.