IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, HCL tie up to enhance copper ore production

The MoU will address HCL’s need for technical assistance, guidance and consultancy work from IIT (ISM) for enhancing copper ore production through modifying mining methods with application of state-of-the-art technologies. 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) IIT (ISM) Dhanbad for collaborative and sponsored research projects in Kolkata. 

The agreement was signed between Arun Kumar Shukla, chairman and managing director, HCL, and professor Rajiv Shekhar, Director, IIT (ISM), Dhanbad. This is the first technical collaboration between the two organisations. HCL is the only copper miner in India and owns all operating mining leases for copper ore in the country.  

HCL plans to increase its ore production capacity threefold in the coming years wherein development activities in projects are either on-going in nature or already planned in most of its mines. At present, the mined out ore is processed at the company’s ore beneficiation plants and metals in concentrate is sold in domestic and international markets. 

IIT-ISM, Dhanbad, being an institute of national repute, particularly in the fields of mining of minerals and its beneficiation and Earth Sciences, will play a key role in solving the emerging geological, technical, environmental, sustainable and ore beneficiation issues for achieving the envisaged expansion programme of HCL. 

The MoU will address HCL’s need for technical assistance, guidance and consultancy work from IIT (ISM) for enhancing copper ore production through modifying mining methods with application of state-of-the-art technologies, improvement of productivity and safety in mines, environmental clearance issues, various hydrological and hydro-geological studies and in areas of unconventional exploration methods such as geophysical exploration, remote sensing, etc, for depth exploration of copper ore. 

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