Japan’s Deep-Sea Rare Earth Mining Initiative:
Japan has embarked on the world’s first experimental attempt to extract rare earth elements from the deep-sea at a depth of about 6,000 metres, using its deep-sea scientific drilling vessel Chikyu.The initiative is driven by Japan’s effort to reduce heavy dependence on China, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of global rare-earth mining and over 90% of refined output.The test mission is being conducted near Minami Torishima, a remote island located within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Pacific Ocean.The area around Minami Torishima is estimated to contain over 16 million tonnes of rare-earth deposits, including reserves sufficient for 730 years of dysprosium and 780 years of yttrium, both critical for electric vehicles, electronics, wind turbines, and defence systems.Deep sea mining involves extracting mineral deposits, from ocean depths below 200 metres, an area that covers two-thirds of the world’s seafloor,for industrial use.
