Aclara Resources has inaugurated its Carina Project heavy rare earths pilot plant in Aparecida de Goiania, Goias, Brazil. In concert with the company’s dedicated outreach to community and government, the ceremony was attended by key government authorities from the State of Goias, the Municipality of Nova Roma, and representatives from federal agencies and international embassies, along with other stakeholders.
The main products from the plant are dysprosium and terbium which, along with other heavy and light rare earths, will be contained in the carbonate produced by the facility. Aclara expects to process approximately 200 tons of clays, resulting in an estimated production of 150 kilograms of heavy rare earth carbonates. They are destined for the manufacture of magnets outside of a China-dependent supply chain.
“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,” commented Ramon Barua CEO of Aclara. “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 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.”
During the event, Barua emphasized that Aclara’s operations are driven by principles of responsible mining, highlighting several innovations and sustainability features from its proprietary technology, named 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.
“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,” he noted. “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.”
Publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Aclara (ARA) is an outgrowth of Hochschild Mining group in London. Its rare earth mineral resources are hosted in ionic clay deposits which contain high concentrations of heavy rare earths, providing it with a reliable, long-term source from its flagship Carina Project, also the Penco Module in the Biobío Region of Chile. For more info, see the earlier report in Magnetics Magazine, and www.aclara-re.com.
