Country plans to build a test facility by 2027 for the further processing of seabed sludge; rare earths in focus.
Undersea resource extraction is becoming more concrete in Japan. After the country announced a pilot mining project last July that is set to start in early 2026, it is now also clear where the resources could be processed. By 2027, a demonstration facility is to be built on the Pacific island of Minamitorishima, around 100 kilometers from the proposed mining site and nearly 2,000 kilometers from the Japanese mainland.
According to Nikkei Asia, the facility’s primary purpose will be to reduce the volume of sludge recovered from the deep sea, which is estimated to contain about two kilograms of rare earth elements per ton. For final refining, the material would then be transported back to the mainland.
How economically viable this complex logistics chain will be in practice remains to be seen through the trials. Clearly, however, Japan appears determined to reduce its economy’s heavy dependence on raw material imports, even by unconventional and controversial means. Regardless, the United States has recently expressed interest in cooperating on the development of the resources off Minamitorishima (as previously reported).
Photo: TomFisk via Canva