Japan to Conduct Deep-Sea Mining Test for Rare Earth Minerals

Tokyo. In a strategy to secure the supply of rare earth minerals used in high-tech applications, Japan will conduct a full-scale deep-sea mining test at a depth of approximately 6,000 meters in the Pacific Ocean in February. The government announced this plan after successfully collecting samples from the seabed recently.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi informed that yttrium was found in samples brought from a deep-sea drilling ship near Minami Torishima Island earlier this year. According to her, yttrium is a globally rare mineral.