Pacific Metals Plans Japan Deep-Sea Nickel Project

Pacific Metals Targets Domestic Nickel and Cobalt Production

The Pacific Metals Co Ltd deep-sea mineral project will involve demonstration tests with the University of Tokyo to smelt seabed mineral resources recovered from the deep sea off Minami-Torishima Island. The initiative is intended to establish a rare-metal smelting process in Japan and support domestic production of nickel and cobalt, two materials used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Pacific Metals plans to conduct the demonstrations using facilities built at a scale close to actual production machines, with the testing program scheduled to run for four years from fiscal 2026 through fiscal 2029.

Demonstration Tests Will Use Recovered Seabed Resources

The materials supplied for the smelting and refining demonstrations will come from seabed mineral resources recovered by the University of Tokyo during its large-scale mine-discharging test planned for fiscal 2027 off the coast of Minami-Torishima Island. The demonstration program is designed to move beyond laboratory-scale research by using facilities approaching the scale of actual machines. This approach is intended to provide practical validation of the processes required to recover value from deep-sea mineral resources and establish the technical foundation needed for domestic nickel and cobalt production. The testing period will continue through fiscal 2029.

Japan Seeks an Integrated Rare-Metal Supply System

Pacific Metals and the University of Tokyo plan to establish a comprehensive system in Japan covering the full chain from cobalt and nickel resource development through smelting and refining. The objective is to create a stable procurement system for these key materials rather than relying solely on individual stages of the resource-development process. By connecting resource recovery with domestic processing capabilities, the initiative is intended to demonstrate whether deep-sea mineral resources can support a broader Japanese supply structure for nickel and cobalt. The planned system therefore combines resource development, material processing, and procurement within one domestic framework.

Deep-Sea Resource Development Could Set a Global First

The planned demonstration program could have significance beyond the immediate development of nickel and cobalt production in Japan. If the deep-sea mineral resource development program is successfully realized, it would represent a world-first achievement, according to the stated objective of the initiative. The project also brings together Pacific Metals Co Ltd and the University of Tokyo across resource development, smelting, and refining activities. Its four-year testing period is expected to provide the practical evidence needed to evaluate the feasibility of establishing domestic rare-metal processing capabilities based on resources recovered from the deep sea.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The initiative could strengthen Japan's ability to evaluate alternative domestic sources of nickel and cobalt for the EV battery supply chain while advancing technologies for deep-sea mineral processing. Its importance will depend on whether the planned demonstrations can successfully connect resource recovery with reliable smelting and refining at a scale close to commercial machinery. The fiscal 2027 seabed recovery test and subsequent four-year demonstration program will therefore be important milestones for assessing technical feasibility. If the complete resource-to-refining system proves viable, it could expand Japan's options for securing key battery materials and establish a new model for domestic rare-metal resource development.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pacific Metals planning with the University of Tokyo?
Pacific Metals plans four years of demonstration tests to develop domestic nickel and cobalt production from deep-sea mineral resources recovered near Minami-Torishima Island. The program will use facilities built at a scale close to actual machines and will run from fiscal 2026 through fiscal 2029. Materials recovered during the University of Tokyo's fiscal 2027 large-scale mine-discharging test will be used for smelting and refining demonstrations. The broader goal is to establish a Japanese system covering resource development, smelting, refining, and stable procurement of these key battery materials.