ACLARA RECEIVES EXIM BANK LETTER OF INTEREST FOR UP TO US$750 MILLION

TORONTO, Sept. 4, 2026 /CNW/ -- Aclara Resources Inc. ("Aclara" or the "Company") (TSX: ARA) is pleased to announce that the Export-Import Bank of the United States ("EXIM") has issued a Letter of Interest indicating its willingness to consider providing up to US$750 million in financing to support the development of Project Dynamo, Aclara's planned rare earth separation, metals and alloys facility in Louisiana, United States.

Based on preliminary information provided by Aclara regarding the expected U.S. exports and U.S. jobs supported by the separation, metals and alloys facility, EXIM indicated that potential financing could cover up to US$750 million of project costs with a repayment tenor of up to 15 years under EXIM's Make More in America ("MMIA") initiative.

The Letter of Interest represents a significant milestone in Aclara's financing strategy, providing a pathway toward a long-term financing package to support the construction and execution of Aclara's U.S. separation, metals and alloys facility at the Port of Vinton in Louisiana.

Ramón Barúa, Chief Executive Officer of Aclara, commented:

"EXIM's interest in financing our separation, metals and alloys facility in Louisiana represents a key milestone for Aclara and a strong validation of our strategy to build an integrated mine-to-alloy rare earth supply chain. Over the past several years, our team has systematically advanced each component of this strategy, building on our mineral reserves in Brazil and mineral resources in Chile, developing proprietary processing technologies, and advancing engineering and permitting with the support of strong and committed shareholders.

The potential support from EXIM would provide a pathway to bring these capabilities together at industrial scale. Our objective is to establish a secure, traceable and sustainable supply chain capable of serving U.S. and allied industries across some of the most critical sectors of the global economy. This includes electromobility, robotics and advanced technologies, as well as the rapidly growing AI economy, where the expansion of data centers is driving unprecedented demand for reliable power generation. By supplying the critical rare earths required for high-performance permanent magnets and advanced power generation applications, Aclara aims to become a long-term partner to the industries and technologies shaping the future.

We are grateful for EXIM's consideration of our U.S. separation, metals and alloys facility and look forward to working closely together as we advance it into its next stage of development."

Building an Integrated Rare Earth Processing Platform

Project Dynamo is a central component of Aclara's strategy to establish an independent and vertically integrated supply chain for heavy rare earths. The facility is being developed in Louisiana and is designed to separate Aclara's Super Pure Rare Earth Carbonate ("SPREC"), produced from its South American ionic clay deposits, into individual rare earth oxides, including neodymium-praseodymium ("NdPr"), dysprosium ("Dy"), terbium ("Tb"), samarium ("Sm"), gadolinium ("Gd") and yttrium ("Y"). The facility is also planned to incorporate metals and alloys processing capabilities to convert separated rare earth oxides into the alloys required for high-performance permanent magnets and other advanced technologies.

Aclara is currently demonstrating its proprietary solvent extraction technology for separation at its Virginia Tech facility. In parallel, the Company is advancing its rare earth metals and alloys capabilities through the operation of an industrial-scale molten salt electrolysis cell in Chile, providing a pathway to validate the downstream conversion of separated rare earth oxides into metals and alloys. These technology demonstration programs are progressing alongside the development of the commercial-scale facility in Louisiana, where the basic engineering being completed by Hatch and key permitting activities required to commence construction are both in their final stages. Together, these efforts are expected to position the Louisiana facility to be construction-ready by the end of 2026.

The Louisiana facility is being designed to supply critical rare earths into markets experiencing significant structural growth and increasing requirements for secure and diversified supply chains. Its separated oxides, metals and alloys are expected to serve the high-performance permanent magnet industry, supporting applications across electromobility, robotics and other advanced technologies, while also supplying rare earth materials required for power generation applications. The latter is becoming increasingly relevant as the rapid deployment of data centers and AI infrastructure creates substantial new requirements for reliable power generation. By integrating rare earth separation with metals and alloys production, Aclara aims to establish a domestic industrial platform capable of supplying the advanced materials underpinning the next generation of industrial, technological and energy development.

EXIM Make More in America Initiative

EXIM's Make More in America initiative provides financing tools intended to support U.S. manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains and create U.S. jobs through projects with an export nexus.

The Letter of Interest is non-binding and remains subject to EXIM's customary due diligence, application, underwriting, authorization, documentation and other requirements. The issuance of the Letter of Interest does not represent a final financing commitment by EXIM, and there can be no assurance that the contemplated financing will ultimately be approved or completed.

Aclara intends to continue working with EXIM as it advances the engineering, permitting and financing of Project Dynamo.

About Aclara

Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX: ARA), a Toronto Stock Exchange listed company, is focused on building a vertically integrated supply chain for rare earth 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 the potential financing of up to US$750 million by the Export-Import Bank of the United States ("EXIM") for Project Dynamo, including the potential amount, terms, tenor, availability and use of proceeds of such financing; the Company's ability to satisfy EXIM's eligibility, due diligence, underwriting, authorization, documentation and other requirements and to obtain a final financing commitment from EXIM; the advancement, development, financing, construction, commissioning and operation of Project Dynamo and the timing thereof, including the expectation that the facility will be construction-ready by the end of 2026; the completion of basic engineering and permitting activities for Project Dynamo; the planned design, scale, processing capabilities and product portfolio of Project Dynamo, including the separation of rare earth elements and the production of rare earth metals and alloys; the advancement and successful demonstration of the Company's rare earth separation technology at Virginia Tech and its metals and alloys processing capabilities in Chile; the ability to scale and integrate such technologies into commercial operations in Louisiana; the anticipated supply of SPREC from the Company's mineral resource projects in South America to Project Dynamo; the Company's plans to establish an independent, vertically integrated and domestic mine-to-alloy rare earth supply chain; anticipated demand for the Company's rare earth products and their potential use in permanent magnets, electromobility, robotics, advanced technologies, power generation, data centers and AI-related infrastructure; the Company's ability to supply U.S. and allied industries and establish long-term commercial relationships with customers in such markets; and the Company's broader strategy to develop and expand its rare earth mineral resources, separation capabilities and metals and alloys production. 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, the 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 news release is provided as of the date of this news 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.

SOURCE Aclara Resources Inc.

For further information, please contact: Ramón Barúa Costa, Chief Executive Officer, [email protected]