According to Nikkei Asia on the 14th, the Japanese government plans to begin research as early as this summer on the possibility of extracting rare earths and other key minerals in Greenland, a territory of Denmark. This move aims to assist Japanese companies in investing in local rare earth projects.

“Diversifying rare earth procurement channels is crucial for Japan.” According to reports, in November last year, a joint public-private delegation composed of officials from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and representatives from trading companies visited a feldspar mine in operation in Greenland. They concluded that mining operations are feasible even in extremely cold weather. It is reported that next, the Japanese government will send geologists from the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security to Greenland for an inspection. These geologists will hold meetings with local government officials and visit mining areas that are preparing for rare earth extraction. In addition to assessing the scale of the mineral deposits, they will also further study mining costs and other factors.