Companies and governments are advancing deep-sea mining projects to extract critical minerals like copper, cobalt, and nickel from the ocean floor, driven by rising demand for clean energy technologies. The Metals Company has successfully tested a subsea harvester and seeks approval for large-scale commercial operations. However, the environmental impact of disturbing these ancient seabed ecosystems remains a major point of international debate.
Background
The transition to clean energy technologies like electric vehicles and renewables is dramatically increasing global demand for metals such as copper, cobalt, and nickel. Traditional land-based mining faces challenges in meeting this demand sustainably, leading to exploration of alternative sources like the mineral-rich nodules on the ocean floor.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Mar 22, 2026 at 07:00 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10