▲圖片轉引自：https://reurl.cc/4NlLER
In January 2026, Japan will attempt the world’s deepest deep-sea rare earth extraction, using its deep-sea scientific drilling vessel, Chikyu, for the operation. The mission will target ocean floor sediments 5,500 meters deep near Minami Torishima, a remote Pacific island within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The objective of the trial is to evaluate the performance of the mining equipment, with around 35 metric tons of sediment expected to be collected. Each ton is estimated to contain about two kilograms of rare earth elements.
Rare earth elements—a group of 17 hard-to-extract metals from the Earth’s crust—are used in a wide range of products, including electric vehicles, hard drives, wind turbines, and missiles. However, environmental groups warn that deep-sea mining could threaten delicate ocean ecosystems. One of the biggest challenges will be moving forward with deep-sea resource development in a way that minimizes harm to life in the deep ocean.
日本擬於 2026 年開展海底稀土採礦試驗
日本將於 2026 年一月嘗試進行全球最深的深海稀土開採，並將使用其深海科學鑽探船「地球號」來執行這項作業。本次任務將鎖定位於日本專屬經濟海域內、太平洋偏遠島嶼南鳥島附近、五千五百公尺深的海底沉積物。這項試驗的目的是評估採礦設備的效能，預計將採集約三十五公噸的沉積物。每噸沉積物預估含有約兩公斤的稀土元素。
稀土元素（一組難以從地殼中開採的十七種金屬元素）被廣泛應用於電動車、硬碟、風力發電機及飛彈等多種產品。不過環保團體警告，深海採礦可能會威脅脆弱的海洋生態系統。其中一項最大的挑戰將是如何在推進深海資源開發的同時，將對深海生物的傷害降到最低… 閱讀完整內容
