The Serra Verde Group (“Serra Verde”) is pleased to announce that it has published its Sustainability Review.
The Sustainability Review summarises the significant work undertaken to date by Serra Verde and its principal operating subsidiary Serra Verde Pesquisa e Mineração (“SVPM”), sets out how this will be enhanced in the future and highlights key achievements, including:
- Health & Safety: More than 10 million hours worked without a lost time injury.
- Environmental responsibility: Adoption of advanced mining and processing techniques that significantly reduce environmental impacts.
- Community engagement: Development and maintenance of strong relationships with local communities with a 90% approval rating from local stakeholders.
- Economic development: One of the largest employers and
taxpayers in the Minaçu region, we are proud to contribute to the local economy by supporting suppliers and creating jobs with currently over 1,300 employees (including contractors). More than 70% of the SVPM team are from the Minaçu region and almost 30% are women—a figure well above industry averages.
Serra Verde is committed to becoming the most sustainable supplier of REEs in the world, by leveraging the attractive ionic clay geology of its Pela Ema deposit, access to renewable energy and advantageous location in Brazil in a jurisdiction with established mining history, positive community relations and a skilled workforce.
Serra Verde has ambitious plans for expanding production and developing SVPM’s operations and examining the potential for a Phase II expansion that could double mine production by the end of the decade. These long terms plans require a safe and responsible way of operating, with a focus in incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance considerations across the Group and operation.
Thras Moraitis, CEO of Serra Verde, said:
“This review shows our strong commitment to embedding sustainability in all that we do and sets out how we plan to deliver on our objective to become the world’s most sustainable supplier of rare earths. We will only achieve this ambitious goal through the dedication and hard work of our people, who have already delivered impressive results, such as our globally leading health and safety performance. We are excited by the opportunity of working with our host communities, the local and federal governments of Brazil and others around the world to pioneer the creation of a globally significant REEs sector in the country.”
The Review can be downloaded here.
Contacts:
Aura Financial
Email: serraverde@aura-financial.com
Tel: +442073210000
Michael Oke / Andy Mills
About Serra Verde
Serra Verde’s Pela Ema operation benefits from a large, long-life deposit containing an elevated proportion of high value heavy and light REEs, primarily neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), terbium (Tb) and dysprosium (Dy) that are key to the energy transition.
Serra Verde is the first scale operation outside Asia to produce all four critical magnetic REEs essential to the manufacture of permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors and wind turbine generators. This makes Pela Ema a strategic asset within the emergent global magnet-producing value chains. Commercial production commenced in early 2024 and the operation is currently ramping up and undertaking plant optimisation.
The operation is located in an established mining area with access to a skilled workforce and close to existing transport, power, water and other infrastructure.
Serra Verde is the largest ionic-clay REE operation outside of Asia. Ionic clays can be mined with low-cost open mining techniques and processed using simple technologies with no hazardous chemicals, crushing, milling, or acid leaching. As a result, our environmental impacts are lower than at other rare earth operations. Furthermore, the operation has access to grid electricity with a high proportion of renewables.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words such as “expects,” “believes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “potential,” “possible,” or “probable” or statements that certain actions, events or results “may,” “will,” “should,” or “could” be taken, occur or be achieved. The forward-looking statements include statements about the completion of construction of Phase I of the Pela Emma deposit, expected benefits of REEs, production, financial position and business strategy.
Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by Serra Verde and its management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform to expectations is subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the ability to complete construction of Phase I of the Pela Ema deposit on time and within budget, the success of production and the market for and prices of REEs. Serra Verde undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law.
