Japan’s government said Monday it had successfully recovered rare-earth-rich marine mud for the first time from a depth of about 6 km (4 miles) during a test mission.
A Japanese scientific drill ship departed Jan. 12 for remote Minamitori Island to explore reserves of rare-earth-rich clay, part of Tokyo’s effort to reduce its dependence on China for vital minerals as Beijing cuts off supplies.
The month-long mission, conducted by the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori Island, about 1,900 km (1,200 miles) southeast of Tokyo, is the world’s first attempt to continuously lift rare-earth-rich marine mud from such depth to a ship.
After arriving at the site on 17 January, the ship began retrieval operations on 30 January and confirmed the first successful retrieval of rare-earth clay on 1 February, according to the National Platform for Innovative Ocean Development of the Cabinet Office.
As of Monday, recovery operations at three locations had been completed, said Ayumi Yoshimatsu, a spokeswoman for the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), which operates the ship.
The recovered material, including its quantity and mineral content, will be analyzed after the ship returns to the port of Shimizu in central Japan on Feb. 15, Yoshimatsu said.
The sludge is believed to contain dysprosium and neodymium, which are used in electric vehicle motor magnets, as well as gadolinium and terbium, which are used in a range of high-tech products.
“Barring major issues, Japan plans to proceed with full-scale mining trials in February 2027,” he said.
China last month banned the export of dual-use items that could be used for military purposes to Japan, including rare earths, amid a diplomatic row.
Japanese components maker TDK said on Monday it was being hit by Chinese export restrictions on rare earths and was taking steps to diversify its procurement sources.
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