Australian mining company St George Mining has announced plans to build a Rare Earths and Niobium Technology Centre in Araxá, Minas Gerais, in partnership with Brazil’s Federal Center for Technological Education (CEFET-MG). The initiative marks a major step toward strengthening Brazil’s domestic capabilities in processing strategic minerals critical to the global energy transition.
The new St George Technological Centre will include a pilot processing plant capable of handling between 200 and 300 kilograms of ore per hour, producing samples of ferroniobium and rare earth concentrates. The facility will be located within the CEFET campus in Araxá and is designed to test and optimize extraction and processing technologies before they are deployed at commercial scale.
St George Mining will fund the construction, equipment, and initial operations for the first three years, focusing on developing efficient, low-waste processing techniques. In the following two years, operations will be jointly managed with CEFET-MG to ensure knowledge transfer and workforce training. By the fifth year, CEFET will assume full management of the facility — a move aimed at consolidating Brazil’s technological autonomy in the critical minerals sector.
The Araxá project, acquired by St George in February 2025, hosts one of South America’s largest known rare earth and niobium deposits, estimated at more than 40 million tonnes of high-grade ore. The site previously operated as a pilot plant in 2013, successfully producing minerals with purity above 99% while eliminating radioactive residues — a notable achievement in sustainable mineral processing.
The announcement follows St George’s confirmation in September of a major new high-grade discovery at the same site, sending the company’s shares up by over 23% to their highest level since May 2021.
According to company chairman and CEO John Prineas, the partnership with CEFET represents a strategic milestone toward creating a mine-to-market operation that supports both domestic and international supply chains.
“We are confident this collaboration will lead to optimized, sustainable production technologies that can underpin future supply agreements with partners in Brazil, the United States, and other key markets,” Prineas said in a statement.
The project is also expected to benefit from federal tax incentives, potentially reducing operational costs by up to 50%, according to company estimates.
Brazil’s federal government has been actively encouraging technology partnerships in the critical minerals sector, viewing initiatives like this as essential to advancing industrial competitiveness, securing supply chains, and reducing reliance on imported technology.
With niobium and rare earth elements playing central roles in battery manufacturing, semiconductors, and renewable energy systems, St George’s investment positions both the company and Brazil as emerging leaders in the global push for cleaner, high-performance technologies.
