HOUSTON, April 13th (Argus) - Brazilian rare earth producer Aclara has confirmed its plan to produce over 4,300 metric tons of annual rare earth oxides (REO) at the Carina project in Brazil by 2028.
Aclara will produce an average of 4,378 tons of REO mixed rare earth concentrate per year, including 1,191 tons per year of praseodymium-neodymium, 156 tons per year of dysprosium, and 27 tons per year of terbium.
Other heavy rare earth elements in the mixed rare earth concentrate include 173 tons per year of samarium, 176 tons per year of gadolinium, 10 tons per year of lutetium, and 1,160 tons per year of yttrium.
Aclara will send the materials mined at Carina to a location in Louisiana for separation and processing, to produce rare earth metals and alloys. The construction plan for the Carina project is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2026, with production expected to commence in the second half of 2028 and to begin in 2029. The project's mine life is estimated to be 18 years, with an oxide production cost of $29.20 per kilogram.
The International Development Finance Corporation of the United States provided $5 million in financing for the development of Carina, while the Louisiana state government provided $46 million in tax incentives to accelerate the progress of the separation project.
