Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Aclara Resources has announced the opening of a new rare earth’s separation pilot plant in Blacksburg.
In cooperation with Virginia Tech, the plant will validate Aclara’s proprietary rare earth separation technology, supporting production of separated rare earth oxides in the United States.
The Blacksburg facility represents a major milestone in Aclara’s strategy to establish a vertically integrated rare earth supply chain in the Western Hemisphere and support the development of its planned industrial-scale separation facility in Louisiana,
The pilot plant has been designed to validate and optimize Aclara’s proprietary rare earth separation technology using high-purity mixed rare earth carbonates, with high concentration of heavy rare earths, that will be produced from the Company’s ionic clay deposits in Brazil and Chile.
The facility will also generate operational data to support the engineering and ramp-up of Aclara’s future industrial-scale plant in the U.S. The inauguration ceremony brought together senior leadership from Virginia Tech, Argonne National Laboratory, L3 Process Development, Aclara, and representatives from the U.S. government including the Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), highlighting the strategic importance of establishing domestic capabilities to process heavy and light rare earths currently restricted by China.
Last year, Aclara secured $5 million in project development financing from DFC to support the feasibility study for its rare earth project in Brazil.
Eduardo Hochschild is the Chairman of Aclara. He said demonstrating that Aclara possesses the technology to separate rare earths—including Chinese-restricted heavy rare earths—in the United States represents a major milestone.
“This achievement is especially significant because Aclara has the heavy rare earth ionic clay deposits needed to supply the process, delivering a sustainable and reliable source of these critical materials to the Western Hemisphere. Today’s event consolidates Aclara’s position as a technology-driven company with secured, sustainable feedstock— positioning Aclara as a key player in reducing Western dependence on restricted global supply chains. We will continue to work to confirm and improve our technology, which, in the medium term, we also plan to apply in Brazil and other countries where we operate,” he said.
Aaron Noble, a professor and Department Head of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech, said this facility represents an important opportunity for collaboration between academia and industry.
“The project will advance research in rare earth separations while providing hands-on training opportunities for students and researchers at Virginia Tech. Partnerships like this are critical for developing the technologies and workforce needed to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains,” he said.
Aclara Resources is a mining company focused on the extraction of lithium and other critical minerals and aims to support the transition to renewable energy through sustainable resource development.
Aclara’s flagship project is called the “Clayton Valley Lithium Project” located in Nevada.
The company emphasizes environmentally responsible mining practices to minimize ecological impact and is committed to advancing technologies that enhance lithium extraction efficiency.
Heavy rare earths are essential for high-performance magnets in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense technologies, yet they are scarce and difficult to extract sustainably, making them highly valuable.
According to the company’s website, the main source of heavy rare earths -particularly dysprosium and terbium- are the ionic clay deposits, a type of deposit rarely found outside of China and southeast Asia.
Aclara is developing two of these rare ionic clay deposits in South America. Together, they have the potential to supply a significant amount of heavy rare earths for EVs; 50% of the projected U.S. demand, 70% of the projected EV demand in the EU, and the equivalent of 16% of China’s official 2023 heavy rare earth output.
Tommee Larochelle, Managing Partner, L3 Process Development, believes the Blacksburg facility goes beyond traditional piloting.
“It is a true demonstration of an integrated rare earth separation flowsheet, validating the full process and enabling the production of commercial-grade materials. In an industry where development timelines often span several years, this project redefines what is possible. Achieving this level of execution in such a compressed timeline reflects both Aclara’s clear vision and the strength of our technical collaboration,” he said.
In addition, Aclara has selected a site at the Port of Vinton, Louisiana, for the development of an industrial facility, which is designed to produce high-purity Dysprosium, Terbium, Neodymium and Praseodymium oxides used in permanent magnets and advanced technologies.
