Japan mulls rare earth extraction in Africa to counter China’s dominance
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New Delhi: After surveys found sufficient reserves of dysprosium and terbium in Namibia, Japan is pressing ahead with plans to develop rare earth mines in Africa to counter China's restrictions, a report has said.
The Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) confirmed the reserves, and the Japanese government aims to rid its dependence on China by the end of 2028, the report from the Asahi Shimbun said, citing government sources.
Dysprosium and terbium retain magnetic properties at high temperatures and are used in high performance electric vehicle motors. They are considered among the scarcest of the rare earths. Japan aims to eliminate dependence on Chinese supplies by the end of 2028, according to the report. "If projects in Africa get on track, Japan is expected to secure enough supply to meet domestic demand when combined with output by Australian and French companies in which JOGMEC and other entities have invested," the report added.
Tokyo plans multiple mine developments in Africa and has begun a bidding process to select developers for the operations, the report said, adding the construction of refining facilities to remove impurities after ore extraction is also being considered.
