Alrosa turns diamond mining waste into a titanium goldmine

Russia’s diamond giant Alrosa is exploring a new way to extract titanium from old mining waste. Decades of diamond production at the Udachny plant have left behind tailings rich in titanium-bearing ore. The company now aims to turn this byproduct into a valuable resource for the country’s metallurgy industry. Titanium was first identified in Western Yakutia’s kimberlite pipes during the 1960s. The mineral, mostly in the form of picroilmenite, remained untapped while diamond mining took priority. Now, Alrosa’s Vilyui Geological Exploration Expedition (VGEE) is revisiting these deposits at the Udachny and Zarnitsa pipes.

The Udachny pipe contains kimberlite ore with an average titanium content of 0.8 kilograms per ton of rock. VGEE specialists are refining samples to produce a concentrate with over 50% titanium, suitable for industrial smelting. Their geological exploration project for byproduct minerals at Udachny has already received approval from Rosgeoexpertiza.

If the project proves economically viable, Alrosa plans to supply titanium concentrate to Russia’s non-ferrous metallurgy sector. Processing at Plant No. 12 in the Udachny Mining and Processing Division could expand to include new extraction stages. The facility may eventually produce up to 6,000 tons of titanium concentrate each year as a secondary product. The initiative could transform mining waste into a useful material for domestic industries. If successful, the project would add titanium extraction to Alrosa’s existing operations. The company will decide on full-scale production based on further economic and technical assessments.