Japan will start testing the possibility of mining the deep seabed for rare-earth elements as concerns grow over access to critical minerals amid rising tensions with China.
The trial will run from 11 January to 14 February in waters around Minamitori Island, about 1,900km southeast of Tokyo. It will involve retrieving rare-earth-rich mud from a depth of around 6,000m, marking the world’s first attempt to continuously lift such material from the deep ocean.
