Could Deep-Sea Mining Fix The Global Minerals Shortage?

There are billions of tons and billions of dollars worth of critical minerals at the bottom of the ocean, including nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese. These metals are vital to electric vehicle batteries and the clean energy transition as a whole. But the debate over whether or not to extract them has become a global controversy, as many fear the potential ecological disruptions it could cause in a part of our planet that remains largely unexplored. What’s more, international regulations for deep-sea mining have yet to be finalized, and the United Nations-affiliated regulatory agency in charge, the International Seabed Authority, recently missed a key deadline to do so.

In the midst of this uncertainly, The Metals Company is forging ahead. The company plans to submit a mining application next year and begin extraction by 2025. But considering the absence of global governance, many remain concerned that this timeline is too aggressive. Major corporations including Google and Samsung, alongside automakers BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, Renault and Rivian have lined up against deep-sea mining - promising not to source minerals from the ocean until the scientific uncertainties are addressed, and regulations are in place.

CORRECTION: At 5:43 we misstate the name of The Metals Company’s project area that is ranked as having the largest undeveloped nickel deposit in the world, and encompasses nearly 29,000 square miles of seafloor. This area is called NORI. NORI-D is a smaller subset of the full NORI license area.

Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction
02:10 — Minerals shortage
03:39 — The potential of deep-sea mining
07:39 — Great unknowns
12:31 — An uncertain future

Produced by: Katie Brigham
Edited by: Nic Golden Henry
Additional Camera: Liam Mays
Additional Reporting: Catherine Clifford
Animation: Jason Reginato
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Footage: The Metals Company, Deep CCZ Expedition, University of Hawai’i, NOAA Ocean Exploration, Greenpeace, International Seabed Authority, Getty Images

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Could Deep-Sea Mining Fix The Global Minerals Shortage?