Hundreds of millions of tons of rare metals discovered off the coast of Japan

More than 200 million tons of manganese ore, deep-sea mineral deposits rich in the rare metal, have been found densely packed in the deep sea off an easternmost island within Japan's exclusive economic zone.

This is the result of a survey report published by a research team, including the Nippon Foundation and the University of Tokyo, on June 22. The ore deposits were found off the coast of Minamitori Island, which contains significant amounts of cobalt and nickel.

The survey of 100 seabed sites conducted by the team between April and June 2024, using remotely operated vehicles at depths of 5,200-5,700m, showed that the area has a high density of rare metal ores, with about 230 million tons of manganese ore over an area of about ^10,000km2 .

The group plans to test the use of offshore fishing vessels to increase fishing volumes from 2025 and establish a framework for commercialization in collaboration with the private sector.

LAM DIEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phat-hien-hang-tram-trieu-tan-kim-loai-hiem-ngoai-khoi-bien-nhat-ban-post745864.html