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Rare earths become rare (3) |
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09:52, September 11, 2009 |
<b>Consumers avoid 'hot water'</b>
Demand for rare-earth metals is forecast to increase by between 10 and 20 percent each year, on the back of growing demand for metals such as neodymium, used to make hybrid electric vehicles and generators for wind turbines.
Japan sees the rare-earth elements as a probable battleground for future trade wars.
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology has begun developing three robots to search for rare metals, the Asahi newspaper reported.
The government-affiliated organization plans to spend about 3 billion yen on the project. The deep-sea exploration robots, expected to be operational by 2011, will look for rare metals, such as zinc, germanium, manganese, cobalt and nickel, which are used in electronic devices, alloys and other products.
Mines in the US that were forced out of business by price wars may be brought back into use. US-based Molycorp Minerals is preparing to resume mining of rare-earth ore deposits at a California facility, Wired reported.
The Pentagon is likely to take a closer look at this issue. The House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act – currently awaiting resolution – both contain measures that would require the Department of Defense to study the military applications of rare-earth metals.
A handful of Canadian mining companies are exploring for new supplies in South Africa, Brazil and the US while pushing ahead with existing projects.
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