THIRUVANANTHAPURAM– India could reduce its dependence on conventional rare earth element (REE) mining by turning to an emerging technology that uses algae to extract the critical minerals, according to Laladhas K.P., director of the Centre for Science in Society and International Biotechnological Applications.
REEs are essential for electronics, renewable energy systems, and defense applications. While India has reserves in beach sands and deposits in the Northeast, their complex composition makes extraction difficult. Globally, most rare earths are sourced from mining operations that are both environmentally destructive and geopolitically sensitive.
Laladhas said algae-based extraction offers a cleaner alternative. Ocean macroalgae, or seaweeds, have the natural ability to hyper-accumulate dissolved metals from seawater. Research shows that some species can concentrate these elements at levels up to a million times higher than surrounding waters, a process described as photosynthetic mineral sourcing.
This method uses sunlight and cultivated seaweed to harvest critical minerals directly from seawater. Unlike conventional mining, it does not generate toxic tailings or contaminate water supplies and could even help restore ocean health by sequestering carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
“It is restorative rather than destructive,” Laladhas said, while cautioning that the technology is still in its early stages and has yet to be proven on a commercial scale.
He added that the concept of an algal biorefinery extends beyond rare earth recovery, producing co-products such as biofuels, biopolymers, and fertilizers, aligning with the principles of a circular economy. India’s long coastline and its experience with phycoremediation — using algae to clean industrial effluents — give it an advantage in pursuing this strategy.
Rather than starting with open-ocean projects, Laladhas suggested India could adapt industrial-scale systems to recover REEs from waste streams of mineral processing plants. He outlined a three-phase approach: targeted R&D to identify native algae species suited for REE absorption, pilot projects through public-private partnerships, and eventual scaling into integrated biorefineries.
With proper policy support and investment, he argued, India could become a global leader in sustainable rare earth supply chains, reducing reliance on environmentally damaging mining and advancing its green economy ambitions. (Source: IANS)
