US media: Japan successfully extracted rare earth element-rich mud from the ocean floor at a depth of 6,000 meters near the Iwo Jima Island, marking an important step in the global deep-sea mining race.
Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae called it "the world's first," believing that this will open up new ways for Japan to develop rare earth resources used in technologies such as electric vehicles, smartphones, and military equipment.
Currently, China dominates the global supply of rare earths, and Japan has been trying to change this situation. This experiment was conducted within Japanese territorial waters and does not require international approval. Japan's deep-sea project has invested about $255 million over seven years, led by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. The project plans to attempt to recover hundreds of tons of seabed sediment daily next year.
However, the report points out that for economic viability, 3,500 tons of sediment need to be recovered daily, and rare earth prices need to remain high.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856526723926019/
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