India Rare Earths Mission

Recently, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has urged the government to set up an ‘India Rare Earths Mission.”

It is to encourage private-sector mining in the Rare Earths minerals sector and to counter India’s reliance on China for imports of such minerals.

The rare earth elements (REE) are seventeen metallic elements.
The 17 Rare Earths are cerium , dysprosium , erbium , europium , gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum , lutetium , neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, and yttrium.
Distribution
The important ores are in China, the United States, Australia, and Russia, while other viable ore bodies are found in Canada, India, South Africa, and Southeast Asia.
India
India has 6% of the world’s rare earth reserves.

Over the next two decades, Electric Vehicles and battery storage will account for about half of the mineral demand growth from clean energy technologies.
The rapid growth of hydrogen use in Sustainable development underpins significant growth in demand for nickel and zirconium for use in electrolysers.
Renewable Infrastructure

Renewable infrastructure, in terms of solar and wind turbines, also requires rare earth minerals.
For example, solar cells use a range of minor metals, including silicon, indium, gallium, selenium, cadmium, and tellurium.
Technology for Future
Battery Technology is set to improve with several potential improvements to the Li-ion technology, with alternatives to this tried-and-tested formulation being in the advanced stages of commercialisation.
Reduces Chinese Dependence

Due to rising geopolitical rivalries between the west and China, it is essential to source mineral supplies from alternate sources.
China accounted for more than 90 per cent of the world’s production of rare earth minerals in 2008. By 2011, China accounted for 97 per cent of world production.
India’s Climate Targets
According to the plan, 80 per cent of the country’s two- and three-wheeler fleet, 40 per cent of buses, and 30 to 70 per cent of cars will be Electic Vehicles by 2030.

Monopoly of few
Most of the reserves in a few nations cause problems for most of the world because of the concentration of resources in the hands of a few countries.
Difficult to mine
Although they are more abundant than their name implies, they are complex and costly to mine and process cleanly.
Environmental Impact
The chief concern is that the rare earth elements are bound up in mineral deposits with the low-level radioactive element thorium, exposure to which has been linked to an increased risk of developing lung, pancreatic, and other cancers.
Capital-Intensive
The mining and extraction processes are capital-intensive and consume large amounts of energy.
Toxic By-products
The mining of these minerals releases toxic by-products which are harmful to the environment and human health.
Lack of Expertise
India would not have found a place in the Minerals Security Partnership grouping because the country needs to bring expertise to the table.

Making it part of the Make in India campaign
There is a need to make rare earth minerals a part of the ‘Make In India’ campaign, citing China’s ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative that focuses on new materials, including permanent magnets made using rare earth minerals.
Minerals Security Partnership (MSP)

India should try through diplomatic channels to enter this partnership.
It is a US-led partnership initiative of 11 nations which aims to bolster critical mineral supply chains.
India is not a member of this.
QUAD critical and Emerging Technology Working group
It aims to develop supply resilience among Quad members, including India, the US, Japan, and Australia.
Participation of private players
Participation of private players in extraction would help to reduce public investment and technology transfer.

Content Source: The Hindu