The first indigenous Hafnium (Hf) Sponge plant in India with annual production capacity of nearly 320 kg has been established at Hyderabad laboratory of Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) under the aegis of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

S. Somanath, scientist and director-VSSC, Department of Space, inaugurated the plant on Friday.

Dr. N.R. Munirathnam, director general of C-MET, who presided over the meeting, said the centre has three laboratories at Pune, Hyderabad and Thrissur.

He said worldwide production of Hafnium is approximately 70 metric tonnes per annum and was one of the costliest and most wanted metal for space programmes.

Dr. R. Ratheesh, director of C-MET, said Hafnium-based rare-earth free permanent magnets would be most viable materials for use in wind energy applications.