Latest news with #Aclara
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Aclara Submits EIA and Provides Update for Its Carina Project in Brazil
TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / May 29, 2025 / Aclara Resources Inc. ('Aclara' or 'Company') (TSX:ARA) is pleased to announce that it has submitted an application for the Environmental Impact Assessment (the 'EIA' or 'Previous License', as it is commonly known in Brazil) for its Carina Project with the Secretariat of the Environment and Sustainable Development ('SEMAD') in the State of Goiás, Brazil. The submission, consistent with the Carina Project's schedule and prior announcements, marks a key step towards the Company achieving commercial production of rare earths in 2028. We understand that Aclara's EIA represents the first 'Category Six' (highest complexity) application submitted by a company under SEMAD's new and innovative environmental licensing system, known as the IPE system. The EIA currently meets all established requirements of the IPE system, however, as the IPE system continues to evolve, additional submissions may be required from the Company to align with future procedural and formatting updates to be implemented by SEMAD. The Company expects that any such additional submission(s) will not be substantive in nature, nor should such submission(s) impact the Company's target of receiving approval for the EIA during Q4 2025. As previously disclosed in the Company's technical report titled 'Preliminary Economic Assessment Update - Carina Rare Earth Element Project - Nova Roma, Goiás, Brazil' dated September 5, 2024, the Carina Project is projected to attain an average annual production of 191 tonnes of Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb), representing approximately 13% of China's 2023 official Dy and Tb production, which could address approximately 50% of the U.S. automotive industry demand by 2030. In addition, the Carina Project is expected to have an average annual production of 1,350 tonnes of Neodymium and Praseodymium, as well as other rare earths, including Samarium, Gadolinium, Lutetium and Yttrium, among others. The projected life-of-mine for the Carina Project is 22 years. Aclara's recently inaugurated semi-industrial pilot plant in Aparecida de Goiania in the State of Goiás continues to operate and receive visits by various Brazilian and foreign stakeholders. The new pilot plant showcases Aclara's proprietary Circular Mineral Harvesting technology, an innovative and sustainable production process that will be implemented in the Carina Project. The pilot plant also incorporates several process optimizations designed to enhance efficiency, lower operating costs, and improve the purity of the final product. In parallel, Aclara continues to advance and is on track to complete its Pre-Feasibility Study and Feasibility Study for the Carina Project in Q3 2025 and Q1 2026, respectively. Jose Augusto Palma, Aclara's Executive Vice President, commented: 'The submission of the Carina Project EIA application constitutes a significant milestone for Aclara, which culminates months of hard work by our team in Brazil to fast track the Carina Project, in line with the shared commitment, expressed in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the State of Goiás in August 2024, to accelerate the permitting process and implementation of the Carina Project. We take great pride in the work accomplished to date and we very much look forward to continuing to work with the Municipality of Nova Roma and the State of Goiás to make the Carina Project a catalyst of socio-economic development for the region. Our goal is to have the Carina Project operational by the end of 2028 to produce, with the highest environmental and social standards, the critical minerals required for the world's energy transition, robotics and other high-tech applications. We extend our gratitude to our team in Brazil, the municipal authorities of Nova Roma, state authorities, and the Governor of Goiás for their continuous support.' About Aclara's Circular Mineral Harvesting Process Aclara's patented rare earth extraction process - Circular Mineral Harvesting - offers several environmentally attractive features. It does not involve the use of explosives and does not require crushing or milling (thus minimizing the use of energy as well as its carbon emissions and footprint). The close-circuit process developed by the Company works to minimize water consumption through high levels of water recirculation and does not generate liquid residues, therefore avoiding the need for a tailings dam. The ionic clay feedstock is amenable to an ion-absorption process, which uses a common fertilizer, ammonium sulfate, as its main reagent. Finally, our intention is to fully revegetate the areas impacted by our extraction process. Qualified Person The technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Jorge Frutuoso, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (FAIG #8100), Geology Manager of Aclara, who is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. 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 S.A, 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.A.'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 other jurisdictions, aiming to increase future production of heavy rare earths. Forward-Looking Statements 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: mineral continuity, grade, methodology, development timeline, production timing and upside at the Carina Project and the permitting process of the Carina Project, including the expected timing of approval of the EIA, Pre-Feasibility Study and Feasibility Study. 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 startup of mines and new development projects; risks related to fluctuation in commodity prices; risks related to mining operations; and dependence on the Carina Project and/or the Penco Module. 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: Ramón Barúa Costa Chief Executive Officer [email protected] SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc. press release
Mint
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Rare-earths plants are popping up outside China
GOINIA, Brazil—In a warehouse deep in Brazil's savanna, machines churn through piles of red clay to produce chalky rocks packed with metals critical for making electric cars, smartphones and missiles. But what is particularly precious about these minerals is their intended destination: They are bound for the U.S., not China. China mines some 70% of the world's rare earths, the 17 metallic elements primarily used in magnets needed for civilian and military technologies. But its 90% share of processing for rare earths mined around the world is what really concerns officials from other countries working to secure their supply. 'China is a formidable competitor," said Ramón Barúa, chief executive of Canada's Aclara Resources, which is opening a rare-earths mine to supply a processing plant it plans to build in the U.S. Aclara said it plans by August to decide where in the U.S. to build its plant for separating rare-earths deposits into individual elements. It also has a buyer lined up. Aclara signed an agreement last year to supply rare earths to VAC, a German company that is building a factory in South Carolina with $94 million in Pentagon funding to make magnets for clients including General Motors. 'We're seeing a tsunami of demand," Barúa said. Aclara aims to extract and process both light and heavy rare earths from its plants in Brazil and Chile. Geopolitical tension is fueling interest in Brazil's minerals. After the U.S. set new tariffs on China last month, China tightened restrictions on the export of rare-earth materials, worrying U.S. manufacturers including Tesla and redoubling their hunt for non-China alternatives. Exports of rare earths restarted this month for some companies. 'Hopefully, we'll get a license to use the rare-earth magnets," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on the company's April earnings call. Brazil has the world's second-largest rare-earth reserves after China, some 21 million tons, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That represents more than a fifth of known global reserves—and more than 10 times those in the U.S. Brazil is also rich in a scarcer subset of heavy rare earths, including dysprosium and terbium, silvery metal elements that stop magnets from losing their strength at high temperatures. They are important in electric vehicles, where magnets power the motor even as it heats up. Despite its huge reserves, Brazil has been a small player in rare earths because of its complex mining regulations and the difficulty of attracting financing from companies willing to confront entrenched Chinese competitors. Costs to mine and process Brazilian rare earths are estimated to be around three times China's, meaning Western buyers would likely pay a substantial premium for Brazilian minerals. Only a few companies outside China have mastered rare-earth processing, and the learning curve is steep. While it can't beat China on prices, Aclara says that its mining processes are more has the world's second-largest rare-earth reserves after China. Brazil is mapping potential rare-earths deposits and searching for traces of them in waste from other mines, said Alexandre Silveira, the country's minister of mines and energy. 'This potential presents a significant opportunity," he said. Brazil's first big rare-earths mine opened last year some 90 miles west of the town of Nova Roma, where Aclara plans to produce. Backed by Denham Capital, a Boston-based private-equity firm, the project is one of the few outside Asia to produce dysprosium, terbium, neodymium and praseodymium—elements used to create high-power magnets. But the mine is contracted to ship most of its production to China. The U.S. has dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars over the past five years to reviving rare-earth processing plants and magnet factories closed during decades of Chinese dominance. President Trump declared a national emergency in 2020 over U.S. dependence on foreign critical minerals, including rare earths, and has made the sector a priority since returning to office. Europe has worked to reduce its reliance on China. The European Union aims to process 40% of the critical raw materials it needs and has agreed that no outside country should supply more than 65% of Europe's annual consumption of a list of designated materials that includes rare earths. After opening a pilot plant to perfect the refinement process near Goiânia, Aclara plans to invest some $600 million to complete work on a larger plant next to the mine in Nova Roma to start full production in 2028. The plant will partially process the rare earths, creating rare-earth carbonates: white rocks containing all the elements that will be separated into individual elements in the U.S. A German company building a U.S. magnet factory has agreed to buy rare earths from Aclara. While Aclara can't compete with China on price, it markets its mining practices as more environmentally friendly. Brazil's record on mining is far from perfect. The collapse of a tailings dam owned by iron-ore miner Vale killed 272 people in 2019, four years after another dam it owned jointly with BHP Group ruptured. Even so, Brazilian regulations are tighter than regulations are in China. Aclara's mining process also poses fewer risks, analysts said. China typically mines rare earths by drilling holes into clay and flushing out rare earths with ammonium sulfate solution, a common fertilizer. The process is relatively cheap, but risks contaminating surrounding soils and the water supply. Instead of following suit, Aclara plans to excavate its clays from depths of up to some 30 meters, or nearly 100 feet, and transport them to the plant for treatment. 'Their clay is right at the surface, so you don't have to dig deep," said Erik Eschen, CEO of VAC, the company planning to buy rare earths from Aclara. Sacks of clay inside an Aclara plant await processing into rare-earth concentrate. The residual clay is washed and returned to the ground, eliminating the need for tailings dams. Lugging truckloads of earth that typically contain less than 3 pounds of rare earths in each ton is expensive. But it reduces contamination at the site of the mine. 'The attention to environmental concerns is the biggest difference between what is done in China and what Aclara plans to do in Brazil," said Jon Hykawy, a rare-earths expert who recently inspected Aclara's pilot plant and mine. Write to Samantha Pearson at and Jon Emont at
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Rare-Earths Plants Are Popping Up Outside China
A technician trains workers at Aclara's pilot plant in Brazil. GOINIA, Brazil—In a warehouse deep in Brazil's savanna, machines churn through piles of red clay to produce chalky rocks packed with metals critical for making electric cars, smartphones and missiles. But what is particularly precious about these minerals is their intended destination: They are bound for the U.S., not China. China mines some 70% of the world's rare earths, the 17 metallic elements primarily used in magnets needed for civilian and military technologies. But its 90% share of processing for rare earths mined around the world is what really concerns officials from other countries working to secure their supply. 'China is a formidable competitor,' said Ramón Barúa, chief executive of Canada's Aclara Resources, which is opening a rare-earths mine to supply a processing plant it plans to build in the U.S. Aclara said it plans by August to decide where in the U.S. to build its plant for separating rare-earths deposits into individual elements. It also has a buyer lined up. Aclara signed an agreement last year to supply rare earths to VAC, a German company that is building a factory in South Carolina with $94 million in Pentagon funding to make magnets for clients including General Motors. 'We're seeing a tsunami of demand,' Barúa said. Geopolitical tension is fueling interest in Brazil's minerals. After the U.S. set new tariffs on China last month, China tightened restrictions on the export of rare-earth materials, worrying U.S. manufacturers including Tesla and redoubling their hunt for non-China alternatives. Exports of rare earths restarted this month for some companies. 'Hopefully, we'll get a license to use the rare-earth magnets,' Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on the company's April earnings call. Brazil has the world's second-largest rare-earth reserves after China, some 21 million tons, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That represents more than a fifth of known global reserves—and more than 10 times those in the U.S. Brazil is also rich in a scarcer subset of heavy rare earths, including dysprosium and terbium, silvery metal elements that stop magnets from losing their strength at high temperatures. They are important in electric vehicles, where magnets power the motor even as it heats up. Despite its huge reserves, Brazil has been a small player in rare earths because of its complex mining regulations and the difficulty of attracting financing from companies willing to confront entrenched Chinese competitors. Costs to mine and process Brazilian rare earths are estimated to be around three times China's, meaning Western buyers would likely pay a substantial premium for Brazilian minerals. Only a few companies outside China have mastered rare-earth processing, and the learning curve is steep. Brazil is mapping potential rare-earths deposits and searching for traces of them in waste from other mines, said Alexandre Silveira, the country's minister of mines and energy. 'This potential presents a significant opportunity,' he said. Brazil's first big rare-earths mine opened last year some 90 miles west of the town of Nova Roma, where Aclara plans to produce. Backed by Denham Capital, a Boston-based private-equity firm, the project is one of the few outside Asia to produce dysprosium, terbium, neodymium and praseodymium—elements used to create high-power magnets. But the mine is contracted to ship most of its production to China. The U.S. has dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars over the past five years to reviving rare-earth processing plants and magnet factories closed during decades of Chinese dominance. President Trump declared a national emergency in 2020 over U.S. dependence on foreign critical minerals, including rare earths, and has made the sector a priority since returning to office. Europe has worked to reduce its reliance on China. The European Union aims to process 40% of the critical raw materials it needs and has agreed that no outside country should supply more than 65% of Europe's annual consumption of a list of designated materials that includes rare earths. After opening a pilot plant to perfect the refinement process near Goiânia, Aclara plans to invest some $600 million to complete work on a larger plant next to the mine in Nova Roma to start full production in 2028. The plant will partially process the rare earths, creating rare-earth carbonates: white rocks containing all the elements that will be separated into individual elements in the U.S. While Aclara can't compete with China on price, it markets its mining practices as more environmentally friendly. Brazil's record on mining is far from perfect. The collapse of a tailings dam owned by iron-ore miner Vale killed 272 people in 2019, four years after another dam it owned jointly with BHP Group ruptured. Even so, Brazilian regulations are tighter than regulations are in China. Aclara's mining process also poses fewer risks, analysts said. China typically mines rare earths by drilling holes into clay and flushing out rare earths with ammonium sulfate solution, a common fertilizer. The process is relatively cheap, but risks contaminating surrounding soils and the water supply. Instead of following suit, Aclara plans to excavate its clays from depths of up to some 30 meters, or nearly 100 feet, and transport them to the plant for treatment. 'Their clay is right at the surface, so you don't have to dig deep,' said Erik Eschen, CEO of VAC, the company planning to buy rare earths from Aclara. The residual clay is washed and returned to the ground, eliminating the need for tailings dams. Lugging truckloads of earth that typically contain less than 3 pounds of rare earths in each ton is expensive. But it reduces contamination at the site of the mine. 'The attention to environmental concerns is the biggest difference between what is done in China and what Aclara plans to do in Brazil,' said Jon Hykawy, a rare-earths expert who recently inspected Aclara's pilot plant and mine. Write to Samantha Pearson at and Jon Emont at Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Cision Canada
07-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
ACLARA REPORTS ON VOTING RESULTS FROM THE 2025 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TORONTO, May 7, 2025 /CNW/ - The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the " Meeting") of Aclara Resources Inc. (" Aclara" or the " Company") (TSX: ARA) was held today via online webcast. Each of the matters voted upon at the Meeting is discussed in detail in the Company's management information circular dated April 7, 2025 (the " Circular"), which can be found under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at The total number of votes cast by shareholders of the Company in person and by proxy at the Meeting was 173,071,994 votes, representing 79.50%. Each of the matters put forward before shareholders for consideration and approval at the Meeting, as described in the Circular, was duly approved by the requisite number of votes. These matters included the election of directors and the appointment of the auditor. The voting results are detailed below: Election of Directors Name of Nominee Votes FOR % Votes WITHHELD % Eduardo Hochschild 158,549,234 98.43 2,521,157 1.57 Ramon Barua 158,819,031 98.60 2,251,360 1.40 Paul Adams 161,038,397 99.98 31,994 0.02 Eduardo Landin 158,544,234 98.43 2,526,157 1.57 Catharine Farrow 160,627,640 99.73 442,751 0.27 Maria Recart 160,759,850 99.81 310,541 0.19 Sanjay Sarma 161,033,397 99.98 36,994 0.02 Nicolás Hochschild 158,483,734 98.39 2,586,657 1.61 Juan Enrique Rassmuss 158,483,544 98.39 2,586,847 1.61 Jorge Born 158,488,734 98.40 2,581,657 1.60 Appointment of Auditor Name of Auditor Votes FOR % Votes WITHHELD % EY Servicios Profesionales de Auditoría y Asesorías SpA 172,393,975 99.61 678,019 0.39 The Company has filed a report of voting results on all resolutions voted on at the Meeting under its profile on SEDAR+ at 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 Bio-Bio 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 S.A., 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.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aclara inaugurates heavy rare earths pilot plant in Brazil
Rare earths company Aclara Resources has officially inaugurated its semi-industrial heavy rare earths pilot plant facility in Aparecida de Goiania, Goias, Brazil. The plant is expected to process around 200 tonnes (t) of clays to produce an estimated 150kg of heavy rare earth carbonates including dysprosium and terbium. The pilot plant showcases Aclara's circular mineral harvesting technology, which is at the core of the company's Carina project in Brazil. This technology is designed to optimise processes, reduce operating costs and increase the purity of the final product. It includes shallow excavation without blasting, elimination of energy-intensive crushing or milling, zero liquid discharge, no tailings dam requirement, more than 95% water recirculation and 99% recovery of primary reagents. The pilot plant builds on previous piloting efforts in Chile, where 25t of clays from the Carina project were processed. It aims to validate the optimised closed-circuit flowsheet at a semi-industrial scale. These efforts support the upcoming pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, both led by Hatch. The plant also aims to produce high-purity heavy rare earth carbonate for future separation plants in the US and to support offtake agreements. The environmental sustainability of the process design will be demonstrated to stakeholders, with the processed clays being chemically stable for full reforestation. Aclara CEO Ramón Barúa said: '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." The proposed process flowsheet is protected by two patents, with the first granted in Chile, Brazil, the US and China, and the second patent pending approval. State of Goiás Vice-Governor Daniel Vilela said: 'With an estimated investment of $2.8bn reais ($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.' Last year, in December, the company secured $25m (23.36bn pesos) through a non-brokered private placement to fund its Carina project. "Aclara inaugurates heavy rare earths pilot plant in Brazil" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
