It looks likely that Norway will be the first nation in the world to proceed with the contentious practice of deep-sea commercial mining.
The plan will speed up the search for precious metals, which are in high demand for green technologies, and is up for a vote in parliament on Tuesday. Although the vote relates to Norwegian waters, this year could also see an agreement on mining in international waters. After gaining support from all parties at the end of 2023, the vote is anticipated to go through without any issues.
Scientists studying the environment have cautioned that it might be disastrous for marine life.
According to the Norwegian government, it was exercising caution and wouldn’t start granting licences until after more environmental research was completed.
Potato-sized rocks known as nodules and crusts can be found in the deep sea. These rocks contain minerals like cobalt, scandium, and lithium that are essential for clean technologies, including batteries.
With this proposal, companies will be able to apply to mine 280,000 sq km (108,000 sq miles) of Norway’s national waters, which is an area larger than the United Kingdom.
Despite being found on land, these minerals are concentrated in a small number of countries, which raises the risk associated with supply.
