This month, at a week-long session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), efforts to impose a global moratorium on deep-sea mining faced a significant setback. Opponents of the practice failed to make headway toward halting this contentious activity.
On Tuesday, a company backed by Nauru announced its intention to proceed with controversial deep-sea mining operations in the Pacific, aiming for a 2026 start despite ongoing environmental concerns. The contract in question involves NORI (Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.), a subsidiary of Canada’s The Metals Company.
Ancient nodules in focus
Polymetallic nodules, rich in valuable minerals, are primarily found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) off the west coast of Mexico, as well as in the central Indian Ocean and the Peru Basin in the South Pacific, according to the ISA. These nodules, formed over millions of years, are scattered on the seafloor and can grow up to 20 centimeters (nearly 8 inches) in size. They are often compared to “metal pebbles” or even “potatoes” by experts.
Discovered by the British Challenger expedition in the 1870s, these nodules were initially not considered a valuable resource. Today, more than 30 countries, including France, Canada, Chile, Brazil and the UK, have called for a halt to deep-sea mining.
Environmental Concerns and the Push for ‘Clean’ Power
The nodules, composed of manganese and iron, also contain strategic minerals like cobalt, nickel and copper. The ISA estimates that the CCZ holds around 21 billion metric tons of nodules, potentially containing 6 billion metric tons of manganese, 270 million metric tons of nickel, and 44 million metric tons of cobalt.
Proponents, such as The Metals Company, argue that these nodules could provide a cleaner path to green technologies, particularly for electric vehicles, dubbing them as a “battery in a rock.” However, this claim is disputed by environmental NGOs and scientists. Michael Norton from the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council criticizes this assertion as misleading, arguing that the demand for these minerals could be met through other means.
Impact and risks
Unlike other deep-sea mining methods regulated by the ISA, such as hydrothermal vent mining, extracting nodules does not involve digging or cutting. NORI’s tests in late 2022 involved lowering a collector vehicle to a depth of 4.3 kilometers (about 2.7 miles) to gather and transport nodules while discharging sediment into the water.
Catherine Weller, global policy director at Fauna & Flora, highlights the unknown impacts of sediment disturbance and wastewater release on the broader ocean ecosystem. She also notes that the unique composition of the nodules makes them a critical habitat for deep-sea organisms.
As debates continue, the future of deep-sea mining remains fraught with tension between technological potential and environmental stewardship.
