Norway Opens Door for Deep-Sea Mining of Copper and Other Critical Materials

Push to recover deposits proceeds in the face of growing opposition and environmental concerns.

The Norwegian government on Tuesday opened the door for deep-sea mining in its waters, despite opposition from environmental groups and a growing list of nation states arguing to ban the practice.

The government said it was proposing parts of the Norwegian continental shelf be opened for deep sea mining and other commercial seabed mineral activities. It added that environmental considerations would be safeguarded and extraction would only be permitted if the industry could demonstrate “sustainability and responsible practices.”

Deep-sea mining has attracted growing opposition, both in Europe and the rest of the world, over concerns that it could significantly damage marine ecosystems. However, companies and countries are scouring the planet to find and secure additional sources of metals and minerals critical for the energy transition, including cobalt, manganese and nickel.

To date deep-sea mining has focused on the extraction of seabed nodules—tennis-ball sized pieces of rock which contain manganese, cobalt and nickel, all of which are used in electric-vehicle batteries.

So far much of the attention has centered on the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean: An area of water between Mexico and Hawaii that contains millions of tons of nodules. Companies looking to extract these nodules, such as Norway’s Loke Marine Minerals, say that harvesting them provides an alternative supply of the minerals needed for renewables, while avoiding the harm to indigenous civilizations or rainforests caused when mining the minerals on land.

In Norway however, the focus will be on seabed crusts on the country’s continental shelf. The target crusts contain copper, zinc and cobalt, as well as some rare-earth elements, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.

“We need minerals to succeed in the green transition,” said Terje Aasland, Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy in a statement. “Seabed minerals can become a source of access to essential metals, and no other country is better positioned to take the lead in managing such resources sustainably and responsibly. Success will be crucial for the world’s long-term energy transition,” Aasland added.

Currently, deep-sea mining in international waters isn’t yet legal, but it is expected to become so this year. Next month, the International Seabed Authority—a U.N. observer organization tasked with creating rules and regulations covering the practice—is expected to meet in Jamaica to agree the regulations on deep sea mining. Rules around environmental harm, royalties and taxes are all being considered.

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