Aclara Gains Tax Exemption for Louisiana Rare Earth Facility

Aclara Resources Inc. has received a significant tax exemption from Louisiana for its planned heavy rare earth separation facility in Vinton. The Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) offers an 80% property tax reduction for five years, expected to save Aclara around US$4.2 million annually, totaling US$20.8 million. The facility aims to process rare earths from Chile and Brazil into high-purity oxides vital for technologies like electric vehicles and wind turbines.

Aclara's CEO, Ramón Barúa, highlighted the support from Louisiana and the opportunity to position the state as a rare earth processing hub. Groundbreaking for the facility is set for late 2026, and it will complement their ongoing pilot plant operations at Virginia Tech. The project aligns with Aclara's strategy to secure a resilient supply chain from mine to alloys in North America.