Japan will attempt to extract rare earth minerals from the ocean floor in the deepest trial of its kind beginning in January 2026, according to the director of a government innovation program on Thursday.
Amid growing concerns over China’s dominance in resources essential to emerging technologies, the nation earlier this week promised to cooperate with the US, India, and Australia to guarantee a steady supply of crucial minerals.
Rare earths, which are 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth’s crust, are employed in a variety of applications, including electric vehicles, hard drives, wind turbines, and missiles.
According to the International Energy Agency, China contributes for over two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output.
A Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu will from January conduct a “test cruise” to retrieve ocean floor sediments that contain rare earth elements, said Shoichi Ishii, director of Japan’s Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Programme.
The test to retrieve the sediments from 5,500 metres (3.4 miles) water depth is the first in the world.
The Chikyu will drill in Japanese economic waters around the remote island of Minami Torishima in the Pacific, the easternmost point of Japan, also used as a military base.
Japan’s Nikkei business daily reported that the mission aims to extract 35 tonnes of mud from the sea floor over around three weeks.
Each tonne is expected to contain around two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of rare earth minerals, which are often used to make magnets that are essential in modern electronics.
Concern over US President Donald Trump’s attempt to expedite deep-sea mining in international waters has made it a geopolitical hot spot.
In retaliation for US restrictions on the import of Chinese goods, Beijing has since April demanded licenses to export rare earths from China.
Environmental activists say that deep-sea mining will disturb the sea floor and endanger marine habitats.
Later this month, a global rule to control mining in the ocean depths will be discussed by the International Seabed Authority, which has jurisdiction over the ocean floor outside of sovereign waters.
