The concept has been around for decades, with over 30 exploration permits issued since 2001. Louis Federal Reserve, ISS ESGĭeep-sea mining focuses mainly on retrieval (or dredging) of polymetallic nodules containing critical metals such as cobalt, copper, nickel, manganese, and zinc. *Forecasts based on IEA Sustainable Development Scenarioįigure 2 : With Rising Demand, Prices Have Also Risen Significantly in Recent Years Given this situation, there is now significant interest in new metal supplies, including untapped resources at the bottom of the sea.įigure 1 : Critical Metal Demand Should Grow Significantly, as Shown Here for Copper and Nickel The result is long-term potential for dramatically tighter supplies and higher metal prices (see Figures 1 & 2). Coupled with increasing metal demand are supply difficulties driven by declining ore quality and the difficulty of starting new mines. The IEA’s report on critical minerals outlines some of the significant areas of growth: e.g., electric vehicles require six times the mineral inputs compared to a conventional car. The energy transition replaces fossil fuel-based energy with other commodity-intense energy sources.

The green energy transition requires a considerable increase in metal mining, which raises questions about the potential risks and opportunities around deep-sea mining.

Deep sea dredging mining