- Japan’s Chikyu vessel begins world-first extraction tests at 6,000m near Minami Torishima to reduce reliance on China
- The area holds over 16 million tons of rare earths, including enough dysprosium and yttrium for centuries of use
- Rare earths are vital for EVs, wind turbines, electronics, and defense, making domestic sourcing a strategic priority
Japan has called it the world’s first attempt to extract deep-sea rare earth minerals from a depth of 6,000 meters higher than Mount Fuji to decrease its dependency on China.
The Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling vessel Chikyu will head to the distant Pacific island of Minami Torishima, the waters of which are thought to contain enormous amounts of these minerals which are very valuable.
This mission is taking place at a time of increasing tensions in the region, as China is putting pressure on Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November comment that Tokyo might respond militarily to any attack on Taiwan.
China has stated over and over again that it will not hesitate to use force to take Taiwan if necessary. Rare earth elements are 17 metals that are hardest to be extracted from the Earth’s crust but are critical for technologies, meaning that no one wants to do without them. Electric vehicles, wind turbines, hard drives, and missiles are some of the main applications of this category of metals.
Also Read: Japan Plans Huge Boost in Semiconductor & AI Spending
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has characterized the Chikyu’s adventure as a first step towards our country’s rare earths industrialization and the first one of such nature at such deep places.
More than 16 million tons of rare earth elements are said to be present in the waters surrounding Japan’s exclusive Minami Torishima economic zone, which is the third-largest reserve in the world. Among these deposits there are enough dysprosium used in high-strength magnets to last for 730 years and enough yttrium used in lasers for 780 years.
“If Japan could successfully extract rare earths around Minami Torishima constantly, it will secure domestic supply chain for key industries”, stated Takahiro Kamisuna, Research Associate at The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), to AFP.
JAMSTEC and the experts believe that the establishment of such resources would be a major strategic advantage for Japan and would allow the government to cut down the dependence on China for rare earths tremendously, besides being able to secure minerals important for high-tech industries and national security.