The project received financial support from top Japanese companies including carmaker Toyota, electronics company Panasonic and video-game developer Bandai Namco.
It will use those minerals in its " gigafactories" , the first of which started making batteries in 2017 in Nevada in partnership with Panasonic of Japan.
For example, Panasonic Holdings Corp of Japan will start construction of a factory in Shanghai in July to produce semiconductor packaging materials, with an investment of 120 million yuan ($16.5 million).