Hindustan Zinc to set up India’s first zinc tailings recycling facility

World’s largest integrated zinc producer Hindustan Zinc Ltd, a Vedanta Group company, has awarded contracts to CIMIC Group companies Sedgman and Leighton Asia for the development of India’s first zinc tailings recycling facility at its flagship Rampura Agucha Mines (RAM) in Rajasthan.

The recycling facility at Rampura Agucha will deploy advanced processing techniques to recover metals such as zinc and silver from previously processed tailings, transforming legacy waste into valuable resources and reinforcing a circular approach to mining.

Arun Misra, CEO – Hindustan Zinc Limited, said, “India’s next phase of industrial growth will be defined not just by how much we mine, but by how intelligently we use what we already have. This project represents a fundamental shift in mining, from extraction to optimisation, and from linear consumption to circular value creation. By establishing India’s first zinc tailings recycling facility at global scale, Hindustan Zinc is creating a blueprint for how legacy resources can be re-engineered into future supply, strengthening India’s critical minerals security.”

He added that the collaboration of Hindustan Zinc with Sedgman’s global minerals processing expertise and Leighton Asia’s on-ground infrastructure execution brings together the best of technology and delivery to set new benchmarks for responsible mining.

This development comes as part of the company’s plan to double its production capacity. Earlier in August, Hindustan Zinc Board has approved an investment of up to ₹3,823 crore for the development of a 10 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) zinc tailings reprocessing facility at Rampura Agucha, targeted for completion within 28 months from the zero date.

Juan Santamaría, CIMIC Group Executive Chairman, apprised, “This project highlights Sedgman’s leadership in minerals processing and Leighton Asia’s proven capability in infrastructure delivery. It reflects CIMIC Group’s strategic commitment to supporting the global energy transition through critical minerals development. Modern tailings reprocessing unlocks new opportunities to recover essential minerals that power clean energy technologies and digital infrastructure.”