Rare earth elements - such as dysprosium, neodymium, praseodymium and terbium - are considered critical materials for many industries. Some are used as high-powered magnets in wind turbine motors, vehicle alternators and heat-seeking missiles, according to ScienceNews. Others are used as high-temperature alloys in aircraft engines and nuclear reactors, or as signal amplifiers in fiber optic cables, among other applications.

Aclara's Louisiana facility is expected to directly employ 140 people. It will occupy an L ED Certified Site at the Port of Vinton, prequalified for industrial development through environmental and engineering reviews.

“Louisiana provides ready access to the key reagents we depend on, helping ensure operational reliability and lower transportation costs,” Aclara Resources CEO Ramón Barúa said in the news release.“The state's world-class chemical industry and highly skilled workforce made the decision even more compelling. Simply put, Louisiana has everything we were looking for.”

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The state is giving Aclara a $3 million grant to pay for infrastructure and an additional job-creation grant for as much as 22% of wages paid. Additionally, the company will be eligible for the state's lucrative Industrial Tax Exemption Program through which it will be largely exempt from property taxes in Calcasieu Parish.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2027.

Aclara boasts what it calls a sustainable mining process that uses no explosives, milling or wastewater ponds. The company says it recirculates 95% of the water it uses for mining and plants trees after razing the land. It plans to begin its mining operations in Chile in 2027 and in Brazil in 2028, according to the company's website.

This article, originally published by Louisiana Illuminator, is republished under a Creative Commons license.

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