Test near remote island marks a first in ultra-deep critical mineral recovery.

Japan is set to commence a trial representing the world's deepest attempt at rare earth element (REE) extraction from the ocean floor. Scheduled for January 2026, the operation will involve the retrieval of mineral-rich sediment from a depth of 5,500 meters (3.4 miles), marking an unprecedented milestone in subsea mining.

Currently, China dominates the global rare earths market, controlling nearly two-thirds of global mining and over 90% of refining capacity. This near-monopoly and Beijing's willingness to enforce its geopolitical sway on governments and industries it disagrees with have convinced many nations to look elsewhere for the mineral underpinnings of a global transition to clean energy, advanced defense systems, and high-tech manufacturing.

In 2023, China implemented new licensing requirements for rare earth exports, widely seen as retaliation against U.S. technology restrictions, a move that has prompted resource-hungry countries like Japan to accelerate efforts to diversify supply sources.

In response, Japan and its allies, including the United States, India, and Australia, have pledged to deepen collaboration on critical mineral sourcing, aiming to reduce strategic vulnerabilities tied to Chinese export restrictions and market manipulation.

The mission will be led by the Chikyu, a Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling vessel originally designed for geoscientific research. This test marks a significant technological milestone, as it will be the first time a nation has attempted mineral recovery at such extreme depths, where pressure, temperature, and engineering challenges are far more severe than in typical ocean operations.

Japan's efforts are part of a broader strategy to secure a reliable, independent supply of REEs, which are essential to modern technologies, from cellphones and electronics to wind turbines and fighter jets.

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Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements, including the 15 lanthanides plus yttrium and scandium.

Tiny island, immeasurable value

The test drilling will take place in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Minami Torishima, a remote Pacific island that represents the easternmost point of Japanese territory.

Isolated and difficult to access, the tiny island hosts a military base and overlooks an area of underwater sediment deposits with great mineral promise.

The island is described as having impressive deposits of REEs and yttrium, according to a study published in Nature's Scientific Reports back in 2018. Deep-sea mud containing such desirable minerals "has great potential as a rare-earth metal resource because of the enormous amount available and its advantageous mineralogical features."

The research area tested was estimated to be able to supply Japan and the world with ample yttrium, europium, terbium, and dysprosium, according to the report.

During the current three-week mission, Japanese scientists and engineers aim to extract approximately 35 tons of seabed mud. Preliminary studies suggest that each ton may yield around 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of REEs.

This deep-sea mining effort is part of a larger, global context of increasing interest in exploiting ocean floor resources. However, governments and industries are divided, with many being averse to deep-sea mining, citing concerns about the potential negative impacts on marine ecosystems and the disruption of the greater ecological functions that abyssal habitat destruction might cause.

According to Shoichi Ishii, director of Japan's Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, the primary aim of the upcoming trial is to test and validate the performance of mining equipment.

"Our goal ... of this cruise is to test the function of all mining equipment," Ishii told AFP News.

By operating at a depth of 5,500 meters, the team will assess the integrity, functionality, and efficiency of extraction technologies. This includes not just the drilling apparatus but also sediment collection, handling, and transport systems.

Success in this test will likely lay the groundwork for future commercial deep-sea mining ventures, though full-scale production is still likely years away and subject to both technical and environmental hurdles.