Star Metro - Aclara Inaugurates Heavy Rare Earths Pilot Plant in Brazil: Project Receives Full Support from the State of Goias and the Community of Nova Roma

The main products from this pilot plant are Dysprosium and Terbium, which, along with other heavy and light rare earths, will be contained in the carbonate produced by the facility. The Company expects to process approximately 200 tons of clays, resulting in an estimated production of 150 kilograms of heavy rare earth carbonates.

During the event, Aclara conducted a comprehensive tour of the new facility, showcasing its proprietary Circular Mineral Harvesting technology-an innovative and sustainable process at the core of the Company's Carina Project ("Carina" or the "Project"). The new pilot plant incorporates several process optimizations designed to enhance efficiency, lower operating costs, and improve the purity of the final product.

Government officials expressed their full support for the Project's streamlined development, recognizing its strategic potential to position Goias as a global center for sustainable production of heavy rare earths, particularly dysprosium and terbium. They also emphasized the Project's ability to deliver long-term economic growth, social development, and environmental value for the local communities and the State of Goias.

Ramón Barúa, Chief Executive Officer of Aclara commented:

"We extend our most sincere gratitude to the Brazilian authorities and the community of Nova Roma for their extensive support and shared commitment to accelerating the implementation of the Carina Project. During the inauguration, they experienced firsthand our unique proprietary technology, witnessing how clean and simple our process is for producing critical heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium.

The Carina Project´s future production of these key elements will enable the fabrication of approximately five million electric vehicles per year, positioning Goias at the forefront in the global energy transition. Aclara remains fully committed to working in close partnership with the Government of Goiás and community of Nova Roma to ensure the long-term success of the Project and proudly reaffirm our goal to commence operations by 2028. To that end, we are pleased to be on track to submit the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Carina Project in Q2 2025, the Pre-feasibility Study in Q3 2025, and the Feasibility Study in Q1 2026."

Daniel Vilela, Vice Governor of the State of Goiás, commented:

"Goiás will become the epicenter of rare earth mining for the world. Today, I participated in the inauguration of the pilot plant of Aclara Resources in Aparecida de Goiânia, an important milestone marking the start of testing for the Carina Project, which will be implemented in Nova Roma, in northeastern Goias. With an estimated investment of R$2.8 billion (∼US$500M), the project will create thousands of jobs and position our state as a leader in the production of rare earths - strategic minerals for the future of clean technologies such as electric vehicles and wind energy. We continue working toward development that creates opportunities while respecting the environment. Goiás has a future and a clear direction!"

Eleuses Gonzaga, Major of Nova Roma, commented:

"This is a historic moment for me, for Nova Roma, for Aparecida, and for the State of Goias. I extend my sincere thanks for this investment in the city of Nova Roma. I would also like to acknowledge the dedication of our governor, Ronaldo Caiado, and our vice-governor, Daniel Vilela. I am grateful to Aclara for this plant, which I am confident will generate employment opportunities not only for Nova Roma but also for Aparecida and will contribute to the broader development of our State of Goias."

Mr. Lineu Olimpio, the State Deputy and President of the Chamber of Mines and Energy, commented:

"We attended the inauguration of Aclara's pilot plant in Aparecida de Goiânia - the first of its kind in Brazil! It will receive mineral extracted from Nova Roma for the production of motors and electronic components.
It was an important moment for the state, with the presence of the Vice Governor Daniel Vilela, the Mayor of Nova Roma, Eleuses, the Mayor of Aparecida, Leandro Vilela, Aclara's CEO, Ramón Barúa, the Ambassador of Peru, and representatives from the U.S., FIEG, and the mining sector. As President of the Mines and Energy Commission of Alego, we are closely following this progress that places Goiás at the center of innovation!"

Inauguration Highlights

Key local and international government representatives that took part in the ceremony (Figure 2 from left to right):

1. Matthew Lowe, Chief Economic Counselor, United States Embassy in Brazil

2. Gilsão Meu Povo, President of the City Council of Aparecida de Goiânia

3. Eleuses Rodrigues Gonzaga, Mayor of Nova Roma

4. Leandro Vilela, Mayor of Aparecida de Goiania

5. Ramón Barúa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Aclara

6. Daniel Vilela, Vice Governor of Goias

7. José Augusto Palma, Executive Vice President, Aclara

8. Murilo Nagato, Country Manager, Aclara Brazil

9. Lineu Olímpio, Goiás State Congressman of State of Goiás and President for Mining and Power affairs in Goias State

10. Rómulo Acurio, Ambassador of Peru

11. José Frederico, State Secretary for Science, Technology and Innovation of Goias State

12. Emílio Bittar, Vice President, Federation of Industries of the State of Goiás (FIEG)

13. Tasso Mendonça Junior - Director of Brazilian Mining Agency

The ceremony was also attended by numerous officials from federal, state, and local government, as well as key stakeholders from the private sector.

During the event, Ramón Barúa emphasized that Aclara's operations are driven by principles of responsible mining, highlighting several key innovations and sustainability features from its proprietary technology, the Circular Mineral Harvesting:

• Simple, shallow excavation (average depth of 15 meters) with no blasting;

• Elimination of crushing or milling-two of the most energy-intensive processes in mining-resulting in a significantly reduced carbon footprint;

• Zero liquid discharge;

• No requirement for a tailings dam;

• Recirculation of over 95% of the water used in the process;

• Recovery of 99% of the primary reagent, a commonly used fertilizer;

• Processed clays that are compatible for full reforestation.

"Our heavy rare earth production, dysprosium and terbium, will be essential for establishing a reliable and alternative supply chain for the permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics and other advanced technologies.

As part of this goal, we are also rapidly advancing the development of our separation facility in the Unites States, which aims to transform the heavy rare earth carbonates from the Carina Project into individual rare earth oxides. In parallel, through a joint venture with our Chilean partner, CAP S.A., we are progressing on a project to convert these individual oxides into the alloys needed to produce permanent magnets. Our vision is to become the leading partner for Western customers, delivering high-quality, sustainable mine-to-magnet solutions that drive the future of clean technology," commented Mr. Barúa

Pilot Plant Operation

The new pilot plant incorporates several optimizations to the process flowsheet, building on the Company's previous piloting efforts in Chile, where 25 tonnes of clays from the Carina Project were processed. The Company expects to process approximately 200 tons of clays, resulting in an estimated production of 150 kilograms of heavy rare earth carbonates. Aclara's optimized approach is focused on increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving the purity of the final product. The Company aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Validating the newly optimized closed-circuit flowsheet at semi-industrial scale,

• Validating processing parameters and the process flowsheet design to support the upcoming Pre-Feasibility Study (Q3 2025) and Feasibility Study (Q1 2026), both led by Hatch Ltd.,

• Generating a high purity heavy rare earth carbonate for our future pilot plant for separation in the United States and in support of future off-take agreements, and

• Demonstrating to relevant stakeholders the environmental sustainability of the process design.

• Generating processed clays to confirm that they are chemically stable when returned to the field,

• Confirming the amenability of the clays to support the revegetation of the reclaimed site,

IP Rights

The proposed process flowsheet has two patents in place that protect this innovation. The first has been granted in all the countries that were requested viz. Chile, Brazil, US, and China, while the second patent has recently been filed and is pending approval.

About Acara

Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX: ARA), a Toronto Stock Exchange listed company, is focused on building a vertically integrated supply chain for rare earths alloys used in permanent magnets. This strategy is supported by Aclara's development of rare earth mineral resources hosted in ionic clay deposits, which contain high concentrations of the scarce heavy rare earths, providing the Company with a long-term, reliable source of these critical materials. The Company's rare earth mineral resource development projects include the Carina Project in the State of Goiás, Brazil as its flagship project and the Penco Module in the Biobío Region of Chile. Both projects feature Aclara's patented technology named Circular Mineral Harvesting, which offers a sustainable and energy-efficient extraction process for rare earths from ionic clay deposits. The Circular Mineral Harvesting process has been designed to minimize the water consumption and overall environmental impact through recycling and circular economy principles. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aclara Technologies Inc., the Company is further enhancing its product value by developing a rare earths separation plant in the United States. This facility will process mixed rare earth carbonates sourced from Aclara's mineral resource projects, separating them into pure individual rare earth oxides. Additionally, Aclara through a joint venture with CAP, is advancing its alloy-making capabilities to convert these refined oxides into the alloys needed for fabricating permanent magnets. This joint venture leverages CAP's extensive expertise in metal refining and special ferro-alloyed steels. Beyond the Carina Project and the Penco Module, Aclara is committed to expanding its mineral resource portfolio by exploring greenfield opportunities and further developing projects within its existing concessions in Brazil, Chile, and Peru, aiming to increase future production of heavy rare earths.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to: the expectations of the Company's management as to the operation of the pilot plant and expected success resulting therefrom.Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to risks related to operating in a foreign jurisdiction, including political and economic risks in Chile and Brazil; risks related to changes to mining laws and regulations and the termination or non-renewal of mining rights by governmental authorities; risks related to failure to comply with the law or obtain necessary permits and licenses or renew them; cost of compliance with applicable environmental regulations; actual production, capital and operating costs may be different than those anticipated; the Company may be not able to successfully complete the development, construction and start-up of mines and new development projects; risks related to fluctuation in commodity prices; risks related to mining operations; and dependence on the Penco Module and/or the Carina Project. Aclara cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. For a detailed discussion of the foregoing factors, among others, please refer to the risk factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated as of March 20, 2025, filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile. Actual results and timing could differ materially from those projected herein. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this press release is provided as of the date of this press release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Ramon Barua
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

F.Davis--SMC