BNDES finances rare earths project in Brazil with 77.5 million reais

Brazil's National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) approved a 77.5 million reais financing for the company Viridis Mineração, Folha de S.Paulo reported on September 8, 2026. The funds are earmarked for the installation of a research and processing center dedicated to rare earths in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

The project seeks to make the production of mixed rare earth carbonate viable on a pilot scale, as well as to advance technical development to optimize the use of ionic clays located in the Poços de Caldas region. These materials are critical inputs for the manufacture of permanent magnets and advanced electronic components required by the global energy transition.

The credit line used by the company comes from technological innovation support programs managed by Brazil's development bank. The initiative responds to a strategy of diversifying the national productive base toward higher value-added sectors, rather than confining mining activity to the export of raw material.

As next steps, the industry must advance the experimental phase of local processing and meet the regulatory standards required for the extraction of complex mineral elements. Monitoring these stages will show whether the model can scale up to sustainable commercial production.

Imagen: BNDES · Dominio público · Wikimedia Commons