Aclara Resources Completes $494 Million Louisiana Separation Plant Engineering and Expands Heavy Rare Earth Output

Highlights

• Capital estimate rose 78% to $494M, but projected separated oxide output increased ~157% with processing costs falling 32% to $26/kg.
• Annual targets include 200 MT dysprosium oxide, 35 MT terbium oxide, and 1,300 MT NdPr oxide, plus yttrium, gadolinium, and samarium.
• Dy and Tb recovery validation remains pending at Virginia Tech; commercial results have not yet been demonstrated at scale.
• $773M after-tax NPV and 27.9% IRR rely on Argus Media pricing; EXIM's $750M financing and Louisiana's $46.4M incentive remain nonbinding or conditional.
• Feedstock dependency on Brazilian and Chilean upstream projects poses a timing risk under REEx's Transition Vulnerability Window.