Rare Earths & Gallium

Strategic metals for the energy transition

What Are Rare Earths?

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals critical to modern technology. Despite the name, they are relatively abundant but difficult to extract economically.

TREO (Total Rare Earth Oxides) measures overall rare earth content, while MREO (Magnetic Rare Earth Oxides) focuses on high-value elements like neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium—essential for permanent magnets in EVs, wind turbines, and electronics.

Gallium's Strategic Role

Gallium is a soft, silvery metal used primarily in semiconductors and LED technology. As compound semiconductors (GaN, GaAs) gain market share in 5G, power electronics, and photovoltaics, gallium demand is surging.

Gallium occurs in small concentrations in ores of other metals and is produced mainly as a byproduct of processing bauxite, with additional production from zinc-processing residues. Novo Cruzeiro remains an early-stage exploration project with no known mineralization or mineral resources.

Wind Turbines

Neodymium-based permanent magnets enable direct-drive turbines with higher efficiency and lower maintenance, critical for offshore wind farms.

Electric Vehicles

EV motors rely on rare earth magnets for compact, high-torque designs. Gallium semiconductors improve charging efficiency and power electronics.

Supply Chain Concerns

Global rare earth production is heavily concentrated in China (~70% of supply), creating geopolitical vulnerabilities for Western manufacturers. Gallium faces similar concentration risks.

Governments and industries are prioritizing supply chain diversification—making projects like Atlantico's strategically valuable beyond their inherent geology.

Atlantico's Discovery

Early-stage reconnaissance at the Novo Cruzeiro Project has confirmed:

• TREO up to 1,226 ppm in stream sediments (1,028 ppm in rock)
• MREO ratios up to 29.6% (average 18.7%), indicating high-value magnetic rare earths
• Lithium indicators from weathered pegmatites, adding multi-commodity upside