Japan has found a 'semi-infinite' deposit of rare earth minerals, enough to supply the world for centuries to come

Deep sea mud off the coast of Japan contains enough rare earth metals to supply the world for centuries to come, a new study reveals.

The study published this week in Scientific Reports says the deposit, which lies within the Japanese exclusive economic zone, contains 16 million tons of rare-earth oxides, enough to meet the demand for yttrium for 780 years, europium for 620 years, terbium for 420 years and dysprosium for 730 years.

The deposit “has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world,” the study said.

Rare earth elements are used extensively in technology such as smart phones, electric and hybrid cars, rechargeable batteries and screen display panels.

The find could be a game changer for major electronics manufacturer Japan which has been at the mercy of the world’s largest supplier China.

In 2010, China cut its export quotas on rare earth minerals by 40 per cent and prices soared. The quotas were later dropped after complaints were taken to the World Trade Organization.

The minerals, found almost 6,000 metres below sea level near the remote Minamitori Island, about 1,800 kilometres southeast of Tokyo, are not easy to get to.

But the team of scientists say the cost of extraction can be reduced by processing seabed mud using something called a hydrocyclone separator.

“Given the huge resource amount, its high grade (notably Y and HREEs), and the effectiveness of simple grain-size separation with a hydrocyclone, we believe that the REY-rich mud has great potential as ore deposits for some of the most critically important elements in the modern society,” the study’s authors wrote.

The researchers said more study on developing the resource and economic evaluations was being done by a collaboration of industry, academia and the Japanese government.