Star Metro - Aclara and Vac Strengthen Mine-To-Magnet Collaboration During Visit to Aclara's Pilot Plant in Brazil

The visit provided VAC's technical and commercial teams with a first-hand look at the advances achieved at Aclara's pilot operations for the Carina Project in Goiás, Brazil, which produced ~150kg of high purity mixed rare earth carbonates ("MREC") through the Company's proprietary Circular Mineral Harvesting process.

Aclara's high-purity MREC is planned to be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at its recently-announced separation facility in Louisiana, United States. In addition, Aclara envisions developing metals and alloys processing capabilities at the same site to convert these oxides into the specialized alloys required for magnet production.

The visit provided a valuable platform for in-depth technical discussions on product specifications, process scalability, and integration pathways with VAC's magnet manufacturing operations in the United States and worldwide, including the eVAC magnet production facility which opened this year in South Carolina, United States.

Jose Palma, Executive Vice-president of Aclara, commented:

"VAC's visit to our pilot facilities represents another tangible step toward realizing our shared vision of an integrated, transparent, and sustainable mine-to-magnets supply chain. Aclara is uniquely positioned to supply significant quantities of heavy rare earth elements by mid-2028, perfectly aligning with VAC's growth plans in the United States and globally. Together, we are building a pathway that not only strengthens the Western Hemisphere's independence in critical minerals but also sets a new standard for environmental and social responsibility in the industry".

Scott Pelhank, Vice President VAC Sales / Officer eVAC Magnetics LLC., commented:

"We were thrilled to visit the Carina Project this week and discuss our shared goal of establishing a revolutionary mine-to-magnet supply chain in the Western Hemisphere. eVAC's Phase II upstream process extension to metallization, scheduled for early 2027 in South Carolina, aligns perfectly with Aclara's downstream expansion of its oxide separation facility in Louisiana. We greatly value our strategic partnership with Aclara, and we are excited to see their continued progress in developing a sustainable, reliable, and scalable rare earth supply chain, driven by their mining operations in Brazil and by our respective investments in the United States."

Aclara and VAC hold high purity mixed rare earth carbonates at the Company's pilot plant inGoiás, Brazil

VAC tours Aclara's pilot plant facilities

Strengthening the Aclara-VAC Alliance

The visit reinforces the Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") signed between Aclara and VAC in 2024, which formalized the parties' intent to jointly develop a sustainable "mine-to-magnets" solution for OEMs in the electric vehicle, renewable energy, robotics and advanced manufacturing sectors.

Under the MoU, Aclara and VAC agreed to:

• Collaborate technically and commercially to establish a cost-effective and geopolitically independent supply chain for rare earth permanent magnets

• Jointly engage with automakers and industrial customers to present an ESG-compliant one-stop-shop solution for securing permanent magnets produced outside Asia

• Align product specifications and cost models, ensuring compatibility between Aclara's rare earth oxides, alloy and magnet, and VAC's magnetic manufacturing requirements

Advancing Vertical Integration

Aclara's partnership with VAC builds upon its broader strategy to vertically integrate the rare earth value chain. The Company's developments now span from:

• Two ionic clay deposits rich in heavy rare earths (HREEs) in Brazil and Chile

• A U.S.-based separation plant to be located in Louisiana, which will become the first dedicated heavy rare earth separation facility in the United States with secured access to HREEs from ionic clay deposits

• A metals and alloys joint venture with CAP S.A. to produce high-performance rare earth alloys, key feedstock for VAC's permanent magnet production lines

Aclara and VAC stand as cornerstone players in building a resilient Western supply chain for heavy rare earths and permanent magnets, advancing the global energy transition while supporting supplier diversification and compliance requirements in North America and Europe. Aclara expects its mining operations to be ready by mid-2028, with construction of its Louisiana separation facility scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2027.

About Aclara

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, and Chile, aiming to increase future production of heavy rare earths.

About Vacuumschmelze (VAC)

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components. With extensive application know-how and 100 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical, aerospace. VAC's unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. VAC is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity and infrastructure firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy.

More information at www.vacuumschmelze.com

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, among other things, the Company's strategic investments and partnerships, the current and future valuation of the Company, the economic effect of the Preliminary Agreement, the expected development and production of the Company's ionic clay deposits in Chile and Brazil and its rare earths separation project in the United States, aa well as the Company's expectations as to the partnership and the transactions contemplated thereby. 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 problems in Brazil, Chile and the United States; 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; compliance with environmental regulations can be costly; 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 mining operations; and dependence on 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 22, 2024 filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile. Actual results, timing, performance, achievements or future events or developments could differ materially from those expressed or implied herein. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this news release is provided as of the date of this news 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 Barúa
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

S.Cloutier--SMC