Japan would tomorrow embark on what it said is the world’s first bid to tap deep sea rare earths at a depth of 6,000m — greater than the height of Mount Fuji — to curb dependence on China.
A Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu would set sail for the remote island of Minami Torishima in the Pacific, where surrounding waters are believed to contain a rich trove of valuable minerals.
The test cruise comes as China — by far the world’s biggest supplier of rare earths — ramps up pressure after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November last year that Tokyo might react militarily to an attack on Taiwan.
Photo: AFP
Rare earths — 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth’s crust — are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.
The mission by the Chikyu is “a first step toward our country’s industrialization of domestic rare earths,” the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) said.
The agency touted the test as the world’s first at such depths.
The area around Minami Torishima, which is in Japan’s economic waters, is estimated to contain more than 16 million tonnes of rare earths, the third-largest reserve globally.
These rich deposits contain an estimated 730 years’ worth of dysprosium, used in high-strength magnets in phones and electric cars, and 780 years’ worth of yttrium, used in lasers, the Nikkei said.
“If Japan could successfully extract rare earths around Minami Torishima constantly, it will secure domestic supply chain for key industries,” International Institute for Strategic Studies research associate Takahiro Kamisuna said. “Likewise, it will be a key strategic asset for Takaichi’s government to significantly reduce the supply chain dependence on China.”
Beijing has long used its dominance in rare earths for geopolitical leverage.
China accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output, the International Energy Agency said.
Media reports this week said Beijing was delaying Japanese imports as well as rare-earth exports to Tokyo, as their spat escalates.
China on Tuesday blocked exports to Japan of “dual-use” items with potential military uses, fueling worries in Japan that Beijing could choke supplies of rare earths, some of which are included in China’s list of dual-use goods.
During the test mission, the Chikyu would send a pipe beneath the water to ensure a “mining machine” attached to its tip can reach the seabed and retrieve the rare earth-rich muds, JAMSTEC said.
The cruise is scheduled to last until Feb. 14.
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