Mājas lapa BlogsRare earth metals - resources of the 21st century and the role of airships in their extraction

Rare earth metals - resources of the 21st century and the role of airships in their extraction

In the era of digital transformation and green energy, the world is on the verge of a new race for resources - not for oil, not for gas, but for elements that almost no one sees, yet without which no smartphone, no electric vehicle, and no wind turbine can operate. We are talking about rare earth metals (REMs). And while their extraction used to be the domain of heavy infrastructure and environmentally destructive methods, technologies capable of changing the rules of the game are now taking center stage: New Generation Airships'.

What are rare earth metals

Rare earth metals are 17 chemical elements of the periodic table: 15 lanthanides (lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, praseodymium, yttrium, etc.), plus scandium and yttrium. Despite the name, most of them are not that “rare” in the Earth’s crust - but they are rarely found in concentrated, economically viable deposits.

Rare earth metals — examples of elements on the periodic table

Key representatives:

- Neodymium is the heart of powerful permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines.

- Yttrium is a key material for LEDs, lasers, and medical isotopes.

- Lanthanum is a component in catalysts, optical glass, and batteries.

Without REMs, you cannot have:

- Electric vehicles (magnets in Tesla and BMW iX motors),

- Wind turbines (one turbine requires up to 200 kg of neodymium),

- Smartphones (displays, vibration motors, cameras),

- Rocket engines, navigation systems, CNC machines.

This is the foundation of technological sovereignty. That is why countries around the world are fighting for control of these elements as they would for gold.

Neodymium magnets in electronics and electric motors

Where rare earth metals are mined today

Today, China controls more than 70% of global REM production, including processing. Russia and the United States rank second and third by volume, but together their share is under 15%.

Map of the world's largest rare earth metal reserves

Extraction challenges:

- Environmental catastrophe: processing REMs involves toxic waste, radioactive thorium, and acidic effluent. In China, dozens of square kilometers of land have turned into “green deserts” - areas with soil unfit for life.

- Technological complexity: REMs are not found in pure form - they must be separated from complex ores through hundreds of chemical operations.

- Geopolitical vulnerability: China’s export restrictions in 2010 and 2023 triggered panic in the EU and the United States. In 2024, the United States declared REMs the No. 1 strategic resource for national security.

Open-pit mining of rare earth metals

Why rare earth metals are becoming a strategic resource 

By 2030, demand for REMs will grow 3-5 times compared with 2020. Reasons:

- Electric vehicles: 200 million units by 2030 means 40,000 tonnes of neodymium for magnets alone.

- Wind power: each 3 MW turbine requires 600 kg of REMs.

- Defense: missile systems, radars, navigation - all of it depends on REMs.

- Digital infrastructure: 5G, AI chips, quantum computers - everything requires high-tech magnets and crystals.

But reserves in accessible deposits are being depleted. The shortage is already here. And this is where new solutions come onto the scene - not on the ground, but in the air.

Rare earth metal deposit in Russia

How airships can help with extraction

Watch our podcast on airships and REMs.

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New Generation Airships' are not children’s toys. They are high-tech airborne platforms equipped with:

- Hyperspectral sensors for geological exploration,

- LiDAR laser scanners,

- Modules for transporting equipment and personnel.

How they can be used in REM extraction:

- Geological exploration in hard-to-reach areas: Siberia, the Far East, the Arctic, the deserts of Central Asia - places where roads cannot be built, and helicopters are too expensive and too noisy. An airship can hover over a prospective deposit for months, scanning subsurface structures with meter-level accuracy.

- Delivery without infrastructure: drilling rigs, generators, laboratories - all of this can be delivered by airship directly to the drilling site, bypassing tons of construction work.

- Zero footprint: electric or hybrid airships use 10 times less fuel than helicopters and leave no traces on the tundra or in the desert.

This is the first time in history that rare earth metals can be extracted without destroying ecosystems.

Airship over a mountain mineral deposit

Advantages of airships over conventional equipment

Operating costs
Helicopter: High (fuel, maintenance) |
Truck: Very high (roads, logistics) |
Airship: Low (electric drive, aerodynamics) |

Maneuverability
Helicopter: Limited in mountains and tundra |
Truck: Impossible without roads |
Airship: High - hovering, slow movement |

Preparation time
Helicopter: Hours |
Truck: Months (road construction) |
Airship: Hours (takeoff from a site) |

Environmental footprint
Helicopter: High (CO₂, noise) |
Truck/drilling rig: Catastrophic (soil destruction) |
Airship: Minimal (zero emissions with electric propulsion) |

Long-term monitoring capability
Helicopter: 4-6 hours of flight |
Truck: No |
Airship: Up to 30 days without refueling |

Airships are a tool for “green” extraction. They make it possible to locate and extract resources without destroying nature. And that is the key to the future of a sustainable economy.

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Transporting equipment by airship to hard-to-reach regions

Prospects for using airships in rare earth metal extraction

By 2030, the first commercial projects for REM extraction using airships are expected to launch:

- Russia has already begun developing the «Arctic Probe» project - a hybrid airship with LiDAR and magnetometers for searching for REMs in Yakutia and Krasnoyarsk Krai.

- Canada and Australia are testing airborne platforms for exploration in deserts and tundra.

- The European Union is funding the «GreenSky Mining» initiative - the goal: 100% environmentally friendly extraction by 2035.

Russia has a unique advantage: vast territories rich in REMs, and a cold climate - ideal conditions for airships. And as technologies evolve, we can become not just a consumer, but a leader in “clean” extraction technology for strategic resources.

International cooperation has already begun: joint expeditions with China, the United States, and Germany are being conducted under the auspices of the UN and the World Bank. This is not a race for resources - it is a race for responsibility.

Environmentally friendly mining using airships

Join the revolution in resource extraction

The world is changing. Technologies that seemed like science fiction only yesterday are becoming reality today. New Generation Airships' are not just a means of transport. They are the key to sovereignty, environmental safety, and technological leadership in the 21st century.

The future of rare earth metal mining and airborne technologies

Are you a researcher, engineer, investor, entrepreneur?

Do you believe in a sustainable future where technology does not destroy nature, but restores it?

👉 Join the «New Generation Airships'» project - the world’s first integrated solution for environmentally friendly resource extraction, logistics, cargo transportation, tourism, and more.

Take part in development, invest in the future, and become part of the technological revolution.

🔗 Join the «New Generation Airships'» project

The future does not wait. It rises into the air - and seeks those ready to build it.

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