Australian Rare Earths (ASX: AR3) has processed the first of four heap leach column cycles at its Koppamurra pilot plant, using approximately 8 tonnes of ore to generate around 5,000L of Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS) at target recovery rates. That PLS has been successfully processed through the Mixed Rare Earth Hydroxide (MREOH) precipitation circuit, achieving full recoveries of rare earths from the PLS to the MREOH in line with expectations. This marks AR3's transition from demonstrating rare earth extraction to producing a concentrated intermediate rare earth product, following the successful commissioning of the agglomeration and heap leach circuits announced on 11 August 2026. MD and CEO Travis Beinke said the milestone validates the first downstream processing stage needed to convert Koppamurra's leach solutions into a saleable product, while generating the engineering data required for DFS design.

The MREOH circuit is designed to validate continuous production, optimise reagent consumption and operating conditions, and evaluate thickening, filtration and washing performance, generating data on reagent use, residence times, solid-liquid separation, water balance and product quality to feed into DFS commercial design. The demonstration program remains on schedule to run through the remainder of 2026, with further MREOH campaigns planned targeting around 28kL of PLS from the pilot heap leach columns. The next step is refining MREOH into first pilot samples of Mixed Rare Earth Oxide (MREO) for sharing with prospective offtake partners as part of customer qualification. AR3's Koppamurra project already has a Pre-Feasibility Study, a maiden Ore Reserve and a $5 million Australian Government grant, alongside the roughly 8,000km² Overland Uranium Project in South Australia.

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