Aclara Secures Tax Exemption Approval of Over US$20 Million For Its U.S. Heavy Rare Earth Separation Facility in Louisiana

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / June 26, 2026 / Aclara Resources Inc. ("Aclara" or the "Company") (TSX:ARA) is pleased to announce that the State of Louisiana has granted final approval under the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) for the Company's planned heavy rare earth separation facility at the Port of Vinton, Louisiana. The approval follows the execution of the Industrial Tax Exemption Contract by Governor Jeff Landry, providing an 80% exemption from ad valorem property taxes for an initial five-year period Based on the Company's current estimates, the exemption is expected to generate approximately US$4.2 million in annual property tax savings, representing approximately US$20.8 million during the initial five-year term and has the opportunity to renew the exemption for five additional years.

The facility will process mixed rare earth carbonates produced from Aclara's ionic clay deposits in Chile and Brazil into high-purity separated rare earth oxides. Once operational, the facility is expected to strengthen critical mineral supply chain resilience across the Western Hemisphere by enabling the large-scale production of heavy rare earths-including dysprosium, terbium, yttrium, gadolinium and samarium-which are essential for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, robotics, wind turbines, and other advanced technologies.

"The final approval of the ITEP incentive marks another important milestone for Project Dynamo and reflects the outstanding partnership we have built with the State of Louisiana," said Ramón Barúa, Chief Executive Officer of Aclara Resources. "We are grateful for the strong support from Governor Jeff Landry, Louisiana Economic Development and our local partners, who share our vision of establishing Louisiana as a strategic hub for rare earth processing and strengthening resilient critical mineral supply chains for the United States."

Aclara continues to advance engineering, permitting and financing activities for the Louisiana facility and is targeting to break ground during the fourth quarter of 2026. In parallel, the Company continues operating its rare earth separation pilot plant at Virginia Tech, where its proprietary solvent extraction technology is being demonstrated. The pilot plant is expected to provide approximately two years of operational data before the commercial facility enters production, further reducing scale-up risk and supporting an efficient commissioning process. Once its separation technology is fully validated, Aclara plans to apply, in the medium term, its separation technology in Brazil and other countries where it operates.

The project represents a cornerstone of Aclara's vertically integrated mine-to-alloys strategy, combining sustainable rare earth mining in Chile and Brazil with downstream separation and metals production in North America to establish a resilient, independent supply chain for permanent magnets and other critical heavy rare earths.

About Aclara

Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX:ARA), a Toronto Stock Exchange listed company, is focused on building a vertically integrated supply chain for rare earths alloys used in permanent magnets. This strategy is supported by Aclara's development of rare earth mineral resources hosted in ionic clay deposits, which contain high concentrations of the scarce heavy rare earths, providing the Company with a long-term, reliable source of these critical materials. The Company's rare earth mineral resource development projects include the Carina Project in the State of Goiás, Brazil as its flagship project and the Penco Module in the Biobío Region of Chile. Both projects feature Aclara's patented technology named Circular Mineral Harvesting, which offers a sustainable and energy-efficient extraction process for rare earths from ionic clay deposits. The Circular Mineral Harvesting process has been designed to minimize the water consumption and overall environmental impact through recycling and circular economy principles. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aclara Technologies Inc., the Company is further enhancing its product value by developing a rare earths separation plant in the United States. This facility will process mixed rare earth carbonates sourced from Aclara's mineral resource projects, separating them into pure individual rare earth oxides. Additionally, Aclara through a joint venture with CAP, is advancing its alloy-making capabilities to convert these refined oxides into the alloys needed for fabricating permanent magnets. This joint venture leverages CAP's extensive expertise in metal refining and special ferro-alloyed steels. Beyond the Carina Project and the Penco Module, Aclara is committed to expanding its mineral resource portfolio by exploring greenfield opportunities and further developing projects within its existing concessions in Brazil, Chile, and Peru, aiming to increase future production of heavy rare earths.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to: anticipated timelines for construction, development and production of the Project, expected development and production of the Company's ionic clay deposits in Chile and Brazil, the production of the separation plant in the State of Louisiana, expectations of the Company's management as to optimization plans and potential operational data. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to risks related to operating in a foreign jurisdiction, including political and economic problems in Brazil; risks related to changes to mining laws and regulations and the termination or non-renewal of mining rights by governmental authorities; risks related to failure to comply with the law or obtain necessary permits and licenses or renew them; compliance with environmental regulations can be costly; actual production, capital and operating costs may be different than those anticipated; the Company may be not able to successfully complete the development, construction and start-up of mines and new development projects; risks related to mining operations; and dependence on the Carina Project. Aclara cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. For a detailed discussion of the foregoing factors, among others, please refer to the risk factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated as of March 18, 2026, filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile. Actual results and timing could differ materially from those projected herein. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this press release is provided as of the date of this press release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Ramón Barúa Costa
Chief Executive Officer
investorrelations@aclara-re.com

Media Inquiries
Nancy Thompson
nancyt@vorticom.com

SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc.