The largest integrated zinc producer in the world, Hindustan Zinc Limited, a member of the Vedanta Group, said today that its board has authorised the construction of India’s first zinc tailings reprocessing facility in Rampura Agucha, Bhilwara district, Rajasthan. The finely crushed residue that remains after mineral extraction is called tailings. Despite being regarded as waste, they contain a lot of hard-to-remove leftover metals and minerals. This cutting-edge facility will turn what was before seen as garbage into useful resources by extracting metals like zinc and silver from previously processed tailings.

The company’s ambition to expand its production capacity includes this development. With a 10 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) capacity, the new plant will require an investment of up to Rs 3,823 crores and should be completed in 28 months from the zero date. Hindustan Zinc plans to repurpose industrial by-products to create value and encourage resource efficiency by reprocessing tailings at Rampura Agucha Mine, one of the biggest underground zinc mining operations in the world. This project will greatly advance the circular economy and promote enhanced sustainability. “We are proud to launch India’s first tailings reprocessing plant at Rampura Agucha, developed in partnership with global experts,” stated Arun Misra, CEO of Hindustan Zinc, in response to the news. “We are able to responsibly store and reprocess historical garbage in accordance with strict environmental regulations thanks to this facility. It advances our wider sustainability commitments, bolsters our distinctive value proposition, and supports our ambitious 2x growth strategy. Innovation and the recovery of a wider variety of metals are also made possible by modern tailing processes, which are crucial for the advancement of technology and the energy transition,” he added.

Hindustan Zinc, which has its headquarters in Udaipur, runs underground mines for zinc, lead, and silver as well as smelters (works that produce metal) in the states of Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. The first round of investments to double the company’s production capacity was approved by the board earlier this year. With an investment of about ₹12,000 crores, these plans call for improving mines and milling facilities across several locations and increasing refined metal capacity by 250 kilotonnes per annum (KTPA). Due to significant expenditures in infrastructure and the steel industry, India’s zinc demand is expected to double over the next five to ten years, which is strategically in line with the expansions. Hindustan Zinc maintains independent governance and open sustainability reporting as a publicly traded firm.

The company’s leadership in tailings management, decarbonisation, circular economy efforts, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) has been acknowledged by the International Environmental Responsibility Program (IERP). For the second year in a row, Hindustan Zinc was named the world’s most sustainable metals and mining business by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment in 2024, further solidifying its position as a leader in sustainable operations. Notably, Hindustan Zinc achieved a 15% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions intensity in FY25 relative to a 2020 baseline, while increasing output. This made them the first mining and metals firm in India to earn Science Based Targets initiative validated 1.5°C-aligned emissions targets.

To further demonstrate its dedication to openness, Hindustan Zinc introduced an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) verified zinc portfolio in 2024 along with EcoZen, Asia’s first low-carbon “green” zinc made using renewable energy. India’s first member of the esteemed International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) is Hindustan Zinc. Hindustan Zinc’s membership in ICMM solidifies its position as one of the world’s leading companies in sustainable and ethical mining by aligning with 40 strict performance standards, including Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. The business keeps establishing new standards for ethical mining, highlighting India’s critical role in providing a resource future that is both sustainable and moral.