Brazilian Rare Earths Limited has commissioned its Stage I beneficiation pilot plant at Camaçari in Bahia, Brazil, producing its first rare earth mineral concentrate to supply ongoing pre-feasibility study test work for the Monte Alto project.

The initial milestone moves the company into a bulk-scale metallurgical test work program designed to generate operating data for flowsheet design and cost estimates across the Rocha da Rocha province development.

“With the Stage I pilot plant successfully commissioned, we are now advancing our bulk metallurgical test work program that will underpin our feasibility studies. First rare earth mineral concentrate production at the pilot plant gives us a platform to test processing options at larger scale and generate the data needed for engineering decisions.”

— Bernardo da Veiga, CEO & Managing Director

To support the next phase of development, Brazilian Rare Earths has secured R$6.4 million, equivalent to approximately A$1.7 million, in partner co-funding for the Stage II hydrometallurgical pilot plant. The funding covers roughly 59% of expected capital and operating costs for Stage II and brings total co-funding support for the Camaçari facility to R$14.6 million, or about A$3.9 million, building on an initial R$8.2 million package provided under the company's existing partnership with SENAI CIMATEC.

“The Stage II hydrometallurgical pilot plant program will extend our systematic metallurgical evaluation through hydrometallurgical extraction and separation to produce NdPr oxide, heavy rare earth HRE+ concentrate and uranium yellowcake. It will also test a significant opportunity to capture more value from the same high-grade Monte Alto feedstock.”

— Bernardo da Veiga, CEO & Managing Director

Detailed design for the Stage II facility is underway, with key equipment scheduled to arrive on site in the final quarter of 2026 ahead of planned commissioning in the second quarter of 2027. The integrated circuit will combine extraction and separation to produce neodymium-praseodymium oxide, heavy rare earth concentrate, and uranium yellowcake.

French rare earth separation specialist Carester will lead the separation workstream across the program and support engineering for the planned Camaçari refinery. Carester is also Brazilian Rare Earths' binding 10-year offtake partner for heavy rare earth concentrate containing up to 150 tonnes per annum of dysprosium and terbium, which will be processed at the Caremag facility in France.

Alongside rare earth production, the pilot program will test recovery pathways for strategic co-products including scandium, niobium, titanium, and tantalum to assess potential cost credits against the project's baseline cost structure.

Read the full announcement: BRE Commissions Pilot Plant and Secures Stage II Co-Funding