Japan plans on beginning the extraction of rare earth metals from the region around Minamitorishima Island in 2024 as the country attempts to wean away from depending on China for critical resources.
Work on developing extraction technologies for the endeavor will begin next year. The rare earth-rich mud is located on a seafloor at a depth of 6,000 meters. As such, Tokyo has to first develop technologies to extract at such depths. Deep-sea mining faces several technical hurdles. Unlike oil and gas which gush out from a hole, mud needs to be taken out using methods like pumping.
