TELF AG discusses the would-be new frontiers of mining

The potential of the seabed 

Much of the strategic minerals needed for the ecological transition could be found at the bottom of the sea. Faced with the growing increase in global demand for some specific raw materials, such as all those necessary to fuel the sustainable future of the planet, some nations are considering the possibility of seeking new mineral resources not on land, where they have always been extracted, but in the sea, on the seabed. 

From this point of view, one of the most active nations is China, which already holds five of the thirty exploration licenses granted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The deep-sea exploration phase should begin in 2025, but China has decided to play early by securing more licenses than any other country. It is no coincidence that a growing number of nations are taking an interest in the seabed: in these areas, rarer metals could even be found than on land. The fact that these metals are used in producing the most modern technologies, such as advanced computer chips or batteries for electric vehicles, represents a further factor of interest for the mineral resources contained in the sea. 

The most promising areas 

The most thought-provoking areas for maritime extraction are the polymetallic nodules, rich in manganese, nickel, and copper, and the polymetallic sulfides, located in hydrothermal springs. Other particularly interesting areas are the cobalt crusts, which contain large quantities of metals. Even in this specific sector, China is acting strategically at the dawn of its development, with exact planning that began many years ago. When the five licenses obtained by the ISA become executive, China will have ample room to maneuver to explore and excavate as many as 92,000 square miles of seabed, corresponding to approximately 17% of the total area authorized by the ISA for mineral extraction. 

In addition to playing a fundamental role in global supplies of rare earths and producing three-quarters of all lithium-ion batteries, China, therefore, seems to be intent on becoming a protagonist in marine extraction, which could contribute decisively to satisfying the demand for global supply of strategic minerals necessary for the objectives of decarbonization and climate neutrality. The licenses granted by the ISA are concentrated in an area of the Pacific Ocean that extends for more than 3,000 miles, the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which should contain quantities of nickel and cobalt much higher than terrestrial reserves (the amount of cobalt that could be found here would be six times higher than that which could be extracted on land). 

As often happens in other areas of the large global raw materials market, also in this case, China has a clear advantageous position compared to all the others, thanks to its strategic approach and orientation towards medium-long term objectives. From this point of view, the gap with the West already seems broad enough. The United States, for example, has yet to obtain a license from the ISA and, at the moment, does not even appear to have a precise plan focused on mining on the ocean floor. The strategic nature of the Chinese approach in this specific sector was clarified some time ago by Peter Dutton, professor of international law at the Naval War College of the United States, who told the Washington Post that the Chinese were also engaging in rulemaking and writing regulations for ocean mining.