“The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology said rare earth elements extracted from seabed mud samples consisted of about 54% medium and heavy rare earths, including yttrium, gadolinium and dysprosium. Light rare earths, including neodymium, accounted for the remaining 46%, Kyodo News reported.”
“The findings will pave the way for a full-scale mining test in the same area for about a month beginning in February. The government plans to evaluate the costs and feasibility of commercial production by March 2028.”
“JAMSTEC’s research vessel Chikyu collected about 50 metric tons of seabed mud from a depth of about 5,600 meters (18,372 feet) near Minamitori Island, about 1,900 kilometers (1,180 miles) southeast of Tokyo, during January and February as part of a Cabinet Office project launched in fiscal 2018.”
“The team plans to collect about 350 metric tons of mud a day for about a month beginning in February 2027. The material will be transported to Minamitori Island for dewatering before being refined into rare earth elements on Japan’s main island.”