Japan successfully collects rare earth-rich mud from 5,600m depth near Minamitori Island, advancing domestic supply plans amid China’s market dominance.
TOKYO: Japan has successfully collected mud containing rare earth elements from a depth of about 5,600 metres in the Pacific.
The retrieval occurred on Sunday in waters off Minamitori Island, roughly 1,900 kilometres southeast of Tokyo. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology conducted the operation aboard its research vessel Chikyu.
This project is a key step toward establishing domestic production of rare earths. These elements are crucial for modern technology, including electric vehicles and defence equipment.
The effort aims to reduce reliance on China, which currently dominates global supply and refining. The ship began collecting sediments in the work area, 150 km southeast of the island, on Friday.
Retrieval devices, including a riser pipe system, operated without major issues despite a temporary halt due to bad weather. The retrieved mud samples will now be dehydrated and analysed further.
A full-scale test mining operation is planned for February 2027. The goal is to collect about 350 tonnes of sediment per day from the seabed.
The government plans to assess the feasibility of industrialising this deep-sea mining by March 2028. This will involve examining costs and potential economic security benefits.
In the 2027 test, retrieved sediments will be processed at a dehydration facility on Minamitori Island. They will then be shipped to mainland Japan for extraction and refining of the rare earth elements.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki called the successful collection “a meaningful achievement in terms of economic security and comprehensive ocean development.”
“Moving toward industrialisation of rare earth mud mining will require demonstrating the full process from mining through separation and refining,” he said at a press conference.
He added that verifying its economic viability is essential, based on the results of ongoing tests. The rare earth sediments lie within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
However, the Cabinet Office notes that the cost of mining and transporting resources from such remote areas remains a significant hurdle for industrial use.
