The switch to green technology is likely to swallow the earth’s reserves of rare and precious metals. As competition over limited resources is heating up, scientists suggest going to other planets or even mining asteroids. But that’s still in the realm of science fiction, but mining companies and some governments have a more down-to-earth solution in mind — deep-sea mining.
For years, deep-sea mining has also been a pipe dream, which could well become a reality sooner than we think amid surging demand for raw materials, evolving technology, and the need to accelerate the transition to a green future.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which regulates the world’s ocean floor, is resuming negotiations to open the seabed. Meanwhile, private mining companies and individual countries can begin applying for provisional licenses as of 10 July if the UN fails to approve a set of regulations by 9 July.
ISA has already granted 30 permits to national agencies and private firms to assess mining opportunities in well-defined areas of potential mineral wealth. However, the authority has not yet received an application for actual mining.
Deep-sea mining is an emerging industry that will extract manganese nodules, sulfides and cobalt crusts for use in various industries and, obviously, for profit.
The quest for trillions of metallic nodules on the seabed could lead to a slowdown in global warming and hasten the transition to green energy. The development of technology for this industry is still in its early stages, but there are several techniques to bring up minerals from 200 metres below the seabed, of which two-thirds of the total underwater is allowed by the UN.
Norway, for example, plans to open up the Arctic and sub-Arctic for seafloor mining. The proposed area by Norway is the size of Germany and is thought to be rich in polymetallic nodules with high concentrations of copper, nickel and cobalt used in batteries and electric vehicles.
What might be the impact on ocean life? Environmentalists warn deep-sea areas are among the least explored and understood zones on the planet and assessment of the effect of deep-sea mining on ocean ecosystem is sketchy. Some companies use machinery like vacuum cleaners to bring materials from the seabed, which could cause irreversible damage to marine life and impact the world’s ecosystem.
Some observers notice that mining should be restricted by the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, a treaty which has just been endorsed. The treaty, which has been 40 years in the making, is aimed at the protection of 30 per cent of the oceans by 2030.
Some economists argue that this kind of mining will lead to glut of minerals, ruining the existing market.
In view of the above, this is no time for snap decisions with untold consequences. We need to see real proof of these opposing hypotheses and usher in advanced technology to save the world without destroying it in the process.
