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

20240621N EV

Demand for materials used in electric vehicles and their batteries is growing as EVs gain popularity worldwide. © Reuters

RYOKO SHIMONOYA, Nikkei staff writer

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.

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