On the ocean floor lie metals crucial to the modern economy. The stakes are billions of dollars, energy security, and independence from China. Meanwhile, Europe continues to hesitate as others accelerate.
Metals of the Future and Political Deadlock
Nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, and rare earth elements form the backbone of battery production, wind turbines, and electronics. Onshore resources are shrinking, while access to them is becoming increasingly expensive and politically risky. The alternative lies on the seabed, but extraction is still blocked by regulations and environmental pressure.
In 2024, Norway gave the green light to preparations for exploiting the seabed. However, just a year later, a new government decided to freeze the licensing process until 2029. The decision sparked enthusiasm among environmental organizations and frustration within the business community:
“Society wants electric vehicles and solar cells for clean energy, but all of this requires resources,”
said Thomas Peacock, an MIT professor quoted by money.pl.
“Onshore resources are being depleted or are becoming increasingly difficult to access. The question is whether extracting resources from the ocean could be less harmful than mining on land,”
he added.
The European Union remains one of the world’s most import-dependent regions when it comes to critical metals. In 2024, nearly half of the EU’s rare earth element imports came from China. This represents a real strategic problem, especially in the context of the energy transition and geopolitical tensions.
Brussels speaks of “raw material sovereignty,” but tangible decisions are lacking. The International Seabed Authority has yet to issue any approval for commercial mining in international waters. Research continues, but decisions do not. Opponents of deep-sea mining warn of irreversible damage to ocean ecosystems. Scientists point to the risk of disrupting food chains and damaging natural carbon dioxide reservoirs:
“We know enough to be certain that deep-sea exploitation will devastate unique species and will not accelerate the transition to a clean economy,”
said Steve Trent of the Environmental Justice Foundation.
Environmental organizations are calling for a global moratorium. In their view, recycling and new technologies can significantly reduce the need for new extraction:
“The deep sea is not a mine. It is a living part of our planet,”
said Arthur Meeus of the ClientEarth foundation.
While Europe debates, the United States acts. The administration of Donald Trump classified access to seabed resources as a matter of national security. New regulations are accelerating extraction procedures and bypassing international structures. The U.S. has not ratified the UNCLOS convention, allowing it to operate outside the UN system. American and Canadian companies are exploiting this loophole, aiming to launch commercial extraction as quickly as possible. Japan has announced pilot extraction as early as the beginning of 2026. If successful, commercial operations could begin in 2027. Tokyo has made clear its intention to reduce dependence on China.
Norway, despite vast resources estimated at tens of millions of tons of metals, continues to postpone decisions. Europe risks once again finding itself at the back of the global race.