Aclara Builds AI Digital Twin for Rare Earths
Aclara Resources and Argonne National Laboratory have completed the first stage of a computational model for a planned Louisiana rare earth separation facility.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Quantum Computing
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Aclara Resources and Argonne National Laboratory validated a computational model of the rare earth separation process for Project Dynamo, a planned facility in Vinton, Louisiana. The model simulates 478 interconnected mixer-settler stages and was calibrated with operational data from Aclara's demonstration plant in Virginia.
Why it matters
China controls approximately 90% of global rare earth processing capacity, and separation has been a critical bottleneck in Western supply chains. A virtual model that lets engineers test process changes before implementing them could help other producers scale separation capacity.
The model predicts rare earth concentrations throughout the solvent extraction circuit across 478 interconnected mixer-settler stages, calibrated against data from Aclara's Virginia demonstration plant. Its performance at full Project Dynamo scale has not been independently reported, and the next-phase Genesis Mission award remains under negotiation.
The players
Aclara Resources
Aclara Resources is the company developing Project Dynamo and operating a demonstration plant in Virginia that supplied calibration data for the model.
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy research facility whose high-performance computing infrastructure supports the simulations.
The details
The digital twin lets engineers test process changes virtually, whereas conventional operation depends heavily on experienced technicians making cautious adjustments. Aclara expects the technology to improve material recovery, reduce chemical consumption and accelerate production ramp-up, and a later phase could link the model to plant sensors and actuators for automated adjustments.
Timeline
Article on completion of the first stage published November 4, 2026
Market Landscape
China's approximately 90% share of global rare earth processing capacity has made separation the main bottleneck in Western supply chains. Aclara's effort to build a digital twin for a Louisiana facility is an attempt to shorten that dependence by making separation capacity faster to scale.
For consumers, the near-term effect is indirect, since the model targets the processing stage that determines how quickly rare earth materials reach manufacturers. Changes in separation capacity could eventually influence the cost and availability of components used in electronics and electric vehicles.
The takeaway
Separation capacity, not only mining, determines how fast rare earth supply can respond to demand. Digital tools that let engineers test changes virtually may shorten the time needed to bring new processing capacity online.
Further reading
For more on the computing methods behind simulations like this, see Quantum Computing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Intelligentcio.
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