Page 27: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2022)

uring the past few years, much of the world has turned Nauru’s ticking clock, DSM stakeholders face a big question its eye towards adopting more sustainable practices whether environmental damage is worth the risk and how to and transitioning to net-zero and even carbon-zero minimize impact should the industry move forward.

Demissions. Recent examples range from double-digit year-on-year electric vehicle (EV) sales percentage increases A nod to nodules driven by individual consumer behavior to government pledges Scientists have been exploring the effects of DSM on the envi- at the national, state and local level to lower emissions during ronment and testing the least impactful techniques long before the next three decades. Companies and industries have begun Nauru’s announcement. Much of the research and technology ? ocking towards this transition, aware of the opportunity to at the forefront of the industry focuses on polymetallic nod- become leaders among their peers and fearful of becoming an ules, which is one of three DSM techniques. These nodules are outlier through relative inaction. This can be seen most clearly potato-sized and multi-metal, found largely in the Clarion-Clip- in aviation, whose biennial Farnborough International Airshow perton Zone (CCZ) in the Paci? c Ocean (any mining interests in in July was dominated by discussions surrounding hurdles to a this area are managed by the ISA). They consist of manganese, production ramp up of sustainable aviation fuels and the even nickel, cobalt and copper, and it’s estimated that in the CCZ longer-term pursuits of electric and hydrogen propulsion. alone, there is 1.2 times more manganese, 1.8 times more nick-

With a greener world comes the need for signi? cant techno- el, and 3.4 times more cobalt than in all known land reserves logical advancement, and more technology means more mate- combined. “The multi-metal nature of the nodules means that rials. As natural resources for EVs, solar panels, batteries and a polymetallic nodule area is, in effect, two or three land-based countless other important products begin to wane on land, key mines in one, which means there is the potential to signi? cantly stakeholders have begun to look below the waters for minerals reduce waste and CO2 emissions per ton of metal mined and and rare earth elements (REE). minimize a number of other negative environmental and social

Deep-sea mining (DSM) arguably has become one of today’s effects associated with obtaining metals from our planet, such most controversial marine activities. There is no denying that as deforestation and relocation of people,” explained Dr. Kris any human activity that requires taking resources from the earth Van Nijen, managing director of Global Sea Mineral Resourc- is likely to cause damage—climate change and many of the es (GSR). Polymetallic nodules are promising in their broad environmental issues faced can be traced back to the Industrial makeup and versatility—and despite lying almost ? ve kilome-

Revolution and centuries of human exploitation. Early volleys ters below the surface, there are few obstructions to collecting in the deep-sea debate begins have included many scientists and them, he explained. “There are no forests that need removing, governments agreeing that it’s premature to begin mining; too no people who need relocating and no local power stations or little is known about the seabed and its ecosystems, and the long- transport infrastructure that needs building.” term impacts of mining are impossible to determine at this point. The Cook Islands, alongside Nauru, have also begun to prepare

On September 8, French Polynesia became the most recent ter- for large scale DSM by collaborating with partners to explore ritory to call for a ban on DSM, calling out their “cousins of the the abundance of nodules in their exclusive economic zone

Paci? c”—Kiribati, Nauru and the Cook Islands—for pushing (EEZ). Moana Minerals Limited is a company based on the forward with mining despite only having explored about 5% of Islands that focuses on nodule collection for the clean energy the seabed. “If we have to examine what’s on the ocean ? oor, it transition and exploring the EEZ for evidence-driven decisions. should be solely for the acquisition of knowledge, not for ex- “This is all in line with our plan to work cooperatively with the ploitation purposes,” said Minister for Marine Resources Her- Cook Islanders to ensure maximum local bene? t is derived,” emoana Maamaatuaiahutapu in a television interview. CEO Hans Smit said. “This is done through the use of local

French Polynesia is not alone with numerous groups world- industry and businesses, employment of Cook Islanders and wide, like the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), training programs to advance and grow the local workforce.” also ? ghting for a moratorium. However, this is only one side As part of their commitment to the Islands, Moana Minerals of the battle. On the other are nations like Nauru, who started has embarked on a three-year exploration to understand ecosys- the countdown to DSM in June 2021 by giving the Interna- tem health by identifying the impacts of its mining systems so tional Seabed Authority (ISA) two years to ? nalize regula- that its engineers can develop mitigation techniques. The nod- tions on industry activity. The ISA was established under the ules play a crucial role for achieving a happier, healthier future, 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and Smit argued. “Without these metals the world will struggle to has been developing a mining code since 2014. Many DSM achieve the goals set for transitioning to alternate energies and stakeholders, like Nauru, feel that the ISA has had enough to address climate change. These nodules are a resource that time to assess risk, and that the potential gain from deep sea can be accessed without serious harm and certainly without de- minerals and REE is more important. With only a year left on stroying our oceans as some would like us to believe.” www.marinetechnologynews.com 27

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