Japan has announced a unique discovery – sedimentary rocks rich in rare earth elements have been found at a depth of 6000 meters in the Pacific Ocean. This was the result of a deep-sea mission by the JAMSTEC agency, which marked the world’s first attempt to extract such resources from the ocean’s depths.
This is reported by Finway
Strategic Importance of the New Deposit
The search and development of deep-sea deposits of rare earth metals is a strategic move for Japan in reducing its dependence on China, which currently accounts for about 70% of the country’s imports of these elements. Samples raised from the ocean floor are currently being analyzed by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. According to government spokesperson Kei Sato, this discovery is significant for both economic security and the development of the marine environment.
She described the extraction of the sediment as “a significant achievement in terms of both economic security and the comprehensive development of the marine environment.”
Potential of Deposits Near Minami-Torishima
In January, a scientific drilling vessel set off for Minami-Torishima Island, the waters around which are considered to be very rich in rare minerals. Experts estimate that there may be over 16 million tons of rare earth metals in Japan’s economic zone near the island – this is the third-largest reserve on the planet.
Amid geopolitical tensions and risks of export restrictions from China, Japan is actively seeking alternative sources of supply. At the end of last year, Japanese authorities signed an agreement with the United States to coordinate efforts to ensure stable supplies of strategically important materials.
Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metals that are crucial for modern technologies: they are necessary for the production of electric vehicles, hard drives, wind turbines, and rockets. The discovery and development of new deposits give Japan a chance to strengthen its economic security and reduce vulnerability to external risks.