Ramon Barua

Barua presents Aclara as a unique non-China heavy rare earth developer with ionic clay deposits in Chile and Brazil—two of the very few outside China and Myanmar. He says Aclara expects to produce 241 tons of heavy rare earths by 2028, about 16% of China's official heavy rare earth production, and plans a US separation facility with Virginia Tech, a pilot plant in Q3, feasibility studies in Chile and Brazil, and partnerships with automakers. He also highlights Aclara's environmentally friendly process, strong industrial shareholders including Hochschild and CAP, and $50 million cash with zero debt.

Ramon Barua argues that rare earth elements are fundamental to the US and Western technology base, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, drones, robotics, and humanoid robots. He says demand is rising as electrification and automation expand, while most rare earth supply and processing is controlled by China, creating an urgent need for alternative Western sources and making the sector a top priority for the US and its allies.