Brazilian Rare Earths (BRE) has commissioned its stage one metallurgical pilot plant at Camaçari in Bahia, Brazil.
The company also secured partner co-funding for the next stage of the hydrometallurgical pilot plant.
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It reported production of the first rare earth mineral concentrate from the plant, marking the operation of the full stage one beneficiation circuit and initiating bulk-scale metallurgical test work.
The stage one facility uses physical beneficiation methods to concentrate rare earth minerals from ore.
According to the company, the pilot plant’s configurable circuits have enabled the testing of various feedstocks and optimisation of processing performance.
Ongoing campaigns at the plant are expected to refine concentrate grades and recoveries, generating material for downstream hydrometallurgical testing and supporting further feasibility studies.
BRE will progress with stage two development following an agreement with SENAI CIMATEC and partners to provide $1.25m (6.4m reais) in funding.
Stage two, for which detailed design is under way, is set to add hydrometallurgical extraction and separation capability.
Commissioning is scheduled for the second quarter of 2027, following equipment deliveries expected in late 2026.
The stage two pilot plant will work alongside French rare earth separation specialist Carester, which will lead the separation component and provide engineering, design and commissioning support.
The pilot programme is set to produce neodymium-praseodymium oxide, heavy rare earth concentrate and uranium yellowcake, with test data intended to inform process design for the planned Camaçari refinery.
BRE CEO and managing director Bernardo da Veiga said: “With the Stage I pilot plant successfully commissioned, we are now advancing our bulk metallurgical test work programme 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.”
BRE also aims to validate recovery and commercialisation processes for uranium, scandium, niobium, titanium and tantalum as potential co-products.
Carester is BRE’s offtake partner for heavy rare earth concentrates under a binding sales agreement that covers up to 150 tonnes per annum of dysprosium and terbium.
In March 2026, BRE received a Trial Mining Licence from Brazil’s National Mining Agency for the Monte Alto rare earth and critical minerals project in Bahia.
