Deep-sea mining is gaining momentum due to technological advancements and increasing demand for critical metals needed for renewable energy technologies and batteries. Polymetallic nodules, abundant on the ocean floor, contain valuable metals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, gold, and silver. These metals are essential for the transition to green energy, but their extraction from terrestrial mines has significant environmental implications. As a result, companies and researchers are exploring deep-sea mining as an alternative, with the potential to reduce the need for land-based mining. However, the environmental repercussions of deep-sea mining remain a major concern, leading to strong opposition from environmental groups and scientists.

Significant technological innovations are expected to play a crucial role in the future of deep-sea mining. Companies are investing in state-of-the-art, eco-friendly mining techniques aimed at minimizing harm to the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These advancements include cleaner and more efficient extraction methods, with an emphasis on recycling and reusing materials to reduce waste and pollution. For example, Impossible Metals is developing robots equipped with AI to identify and avoid marine life, claiming a 95% success rate in detecting organisms as small as 1mm. These robots use claws to gently extract polymetallic nodules, minimizing sediment disturbance. Other methods, such as those being developed by Seabed Solutions, involve saw-based devices to extract mineral-containing crusts or layers while attempting to reduce sediment disruption.

Despite technological progress, concerns about the environmental impact of deep-sea mining persist. Critics argue that mining inherently removes the foundation of life on the deep seafloor, regardless of the technology used3. The deep seabed remains largely unexplored, leading to skepticism about mining activities. Past mining trials have left lasting scars on the ocean floor, with some areas taking decades to recover. For instance, a 1979 deep-sea mining trial left marks on the Pacific Ocean seabed that have yet to fully recover. These concerns have led to protests and financial turmoil for companies attempting to enter the deep-sea mining industry.

Currently, no commercial deep-sea mining projects are active, but this could change if international regulations are established. The International Energy Agency projects a significant increase in demand for metals like lithium, graphite, cobalt, and nickel by 2040, driven by the clean energy sector. This demand is fueling interest in deep-sea mining as a potential source of these critical materials. India, for example, is actively developing an integrated mining system for polymetallic nodules at depths of 5000-5500 meters. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) recently conducted an exploratory deep-sea mining trial in the Andaman Sea and plans further trials to refine their technology.