The Japanese government and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology confirmed the presence of yttrium and other rare-earth elements in seabed mud.

This discovery is critical for Japan as it seeks to secure domestic sources of essential minerals amid tightening export controls from China. The ability to extract these materials from the ocean floor could reduce the country's reliance on foreign supply chains for high-tech manufacturing.

Cabinet Office Program Director Masakazu Ishii said that the project successfully utilized a world-first low-impact deep-sea mining technique [1]. The operation targeted the seabed off Minami-Torishima in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of approximately 6,000 meters [1, 3].

According to reports, the mud was recovered in January 2024, with a successful lift recorded on Feb. 1, 2024 [3]. The recovery vessel later returned to the port of Shimizu on Feb. 14, 2024 [4]. Analysis of approximately 50 tonnes of the recovered mud confirmed the presence of the rare-earth elements [2].

Ishii said, "We were able to establish a continuous on-board mud lifting technology from the deep sea floor that suppresses the load on the deep-sea environment," in a statement regarding the technical achievement [2].

The government intends to build on this success with further operations. A larger-scale test is scheduled for February 2025 [1, 5]. This upcoming phase will further evaluate the viability of the low-impact extraction method, and the concentration of minerals in the region [1].

“The recovery was deemed a world-first low-impact deep-sea mining technique.”

The successful extraction of rare-earth elements from 6,000 meters deep marks a significant technical milestone in seabed mining. By focusing on 'low-impact' technology, Japan is attempting to balance the urgent need for mineral independence with environmental concerns. If the February 2025 large-scale test proves viable, it could shift the geopolitical landscape of rare-earth procurement, providing a strategic alternative to the current market dominance of China.