Come on Frank, get your arze in gear!Decades' worth of EV battery metals found off remote Japan island
Deep-sea reserves of cobalt and nickel could be commercialized as early as 2026
Demand for materials used in electric vehicles and their batteries is growing as EVs gain popularity worldwide. © Reuters
TOKYO -- Mineral resources including about 75 years of Japan's cobalt consumption and around 11 years' worth of nickel have been found near an isolated island in the country's exclusive economic zone, researchers said Friday.
The Nippon Foundation and the University of Tokyo together found deposits of some 230 million tonnes of manganese nodules on the seabed around Minami-Torishima, located roughly 1,900 km southeast of Tokyo, in a survey conducted between April and June.
Made of iron and manganese oxides, the fist-sized nodules contain about 20% manganese and up to 1% cobalt and nickel. All three elements are used in batteries, including those for electric vehicles.
From recovered nodules, the research team estimated that there were 610,000 tonnes of cobalt and 740,000 tonnes of nickel across an area of around 10,000 sq. meters.
"The nodules are highly concentrated and offer quite good materials," said University of Tokyo professor Yasuhiro Kato, who was part of a team that discovered nodules in the area back in 2016. "We'll aim to develop this resource to boost industry."
Manganese nodules contain manganese, cobalt and nickel, which are all used in electric vehicle batteries. (The Nippon Foundation)
The team plans to begin extraction on a trial basis in 2025, recovering thousands of tonnes of manganese nodules a day to supply metal refineries in Japan. The Nippon Foundation seeks to form a private-sector consortium, aiming for commercialization as early as 2026.
Areas around Minami-Torishima are home to mud layers containing rare-earth elements and crusts with cobalt and nickel. But costs and technical requirements make deep-sea mining and refining a challenging task.
In the most recent survey, the team used mining equipment and remotely controlled underwater vehicles to probe more than 100 spots on seabed 5,200 meters to 5,700 meters deep.