To
Shri Vivek Bharadwaj
Union Mines Secretary
Dear Shri Bharadwaj,
I understand that China, which dominates the production of the two critical minerals, namely, Gallium (Ga) and Germanium (Ge), has imposed a ban on their export (https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chinas-controls-take-effect-wait-gallium-germanium-export-permits-begins-2023-08-01/).
Considering that both these metals are critical links in India’s important supply chains for electronics, renewable energy facilities and the defence sector, India should lose no time in responding to China’s strategy so as to ensure its overall self-reliance and independence vis-a-vis China.
Gallium is a trace metal in wastes from processing Aluminium, Zinc and Lead. The Ga content of Bauxite is 50 parts in a million, whereas zinc refinery residues contain 0.266 wt.% Ga and 0.363 wt.% Ge. In other words, the residual wastes coming out of Aluminium and Zinc/Lead refining processes are highly valuable from the point of view of those two critical metals and India should exercise utmost diligence in ensuring that those residual wastes are not frittered away without recovering Ga and Ge to the maximum extent possible.
I am aware that NALCO has set up a pilot unit targeting the production of one million tonnes of gallium metal with a purity of
99.99% and it also signed an R&D agreement in December 2015 with Chalieco, China for the separation of iron concentrate from Red Mud waste from Bauxite and for the extraction of gallium from Bayer’s Liquor. An MoU was apparently signed with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai in May 2016 for various R & D works like extraction of Gallium and other rare earth elements from Bayer Process liquor and for studies on the suitability of red mud for sacrificial core catcher material.
The total smelter-grade alumina refining capacity with companies such as Hindalco, ANRAK, Vedanta and NALCO is 8.19 million tonnes. The production of lead and zinc ore stands at more than 14.48 million tonnes. Apart from NALCO, Hindalco perhaps recovered some Ga in the past but has no plans for it today.
In the case of Bauxite, Zinc and Lead, most of these companies are not recovering Ga from the residual wastes, which in fact have become a serious source of toxic pollution on land and in water. Large quantities of the waste are perhaps being dumped in rivers and water bodies posing a public health hazard. It is time that the Ministry of Mines directs all those companies to account for the wastes accurately and preserve them in clearly ring-fenced storage areas to be under surveillance by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), for recovery of Ga and Ge by CPSEs such as NALCO.
Considering that Ga and Ge are secondary products of Alumina and Zinc/Lead processing units, the parent raw materials, namely, Bauxite and Zinc/Lead ores are equally important. The existing deposits of these in terms of UNFCC classification, at the present levels of production, may not last more than 15-20 years unless an intensified exploration/ development effort is put in to make good for continuing depletion. While CPSEs may be persuaded to place caps on annual levels of production to render mining activity sustainable to some extent, since private companies tend to maximise annual production levels to maximise their profitability, they may not submit themselves to such norms. Moreover, some of these companies are known to fund the political parties through contributions leading to an unholy nexus between them and the political parties. It is widely known how such a nexus has forced political parties to promote the interests of the mining companies rather than regulate their functioning so as to promote the public interest. As such, in order to ensure that India conserves its critical minerals, it is desirable that the government notifies Bauxite, Zinc and Lead ores as “critical minerals” and enhance public control over their extraction and use, by involving the CPSEs closely.
It is relevant to mention in this connection that the US Geological Survey (USGS)has included both Aluminium and Zinc among the list of critical minerals ((https://www.iea.org/policies/15271-fi nal-list-of-critical-minerals-2022), whereas the Mines Ministry has not done so.
Against the above background, the Mines Ministry should come up, as a part of its overall strategy w.r.t critical minerals, with specific measures to promote R&D for recycling Ga and Ge from used equipment containing Ga and for developing substitutes for both Ga and Ge so that it may be able to contain the demand for the two scarce critical metals.
In some applications, gallium in arsenide wafers can be replaced by silicon or indium, according to USGS. “Silicon can be a less-expensive substitute for germanium in certain electronic applications,” according to USGS. “Zinc selenide and germanium glass substitute for germanium metal in infrared applications systems, but often at the expense of performance”
In my view, it is not enough that the Mines Ministry notifies “critical minerals” as such. It should come up with a long-term strategy to maximise indigenous production of Ga and Ge, promote recycling and promote R&D for developing substitutes.
Regards,
Yours sincerely,
E A S Sarma
Former Secretary to the Government of India
Visakhapatnam
