The United States and Japan have decided on a joint insane project to build the world's deepest underwater mine. And all in order to challenge China. This is reported by Bloomberg.
According to the agency, the tiny Japanese island of Minamitorishima could turn into a strategic resource for Tokyo and Washington.
In the zone of this piece of land in the ocean at a depth of about 6 km, large deposits of rare earth minerals have been discovered. Their reserves, according to preliminary data, amount to over 16 million tons.
Dysprosium, terbium, yttrium and gadolinium are important metals that are used in the production of electric vehicles, semiconductors, powerful magnets and military equipment.
During the talks between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the United States and Japan reached an agreement on expanding cooperation in the field of deep-sea mining.
However, the task seems to be incredibly difficult: a depth of 6 kilometers, a pressure many times higher than atmospheric, significant financial costs and environmental risks. The implementation of the project can cost billions of dollars and take more than ten years.
The bet is not only on rare earth metals. For the United States and Japan, this is a chance to reduce dependence on China and build an alternative supply chain for strategic raw materials.
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