Why the Deep Sea Mining Race Is Accelerating in 2025: Key Drivers and Global Impact

Deep-sea mines can also be used to manufacture military equipment and weapons.

While seabed mining is still a work in progress, private companies and government agencies in countries including China, India, and Russia are racing to secure rights to the area.

License applications have been submitted to the United Nations International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the North Pacific, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and parts of the Northwest Pacific.



are these minerals in such high demand?




Interest in deep-sea mining has grown along with the drive toward clean energy.

Electric vehicles require six times more minerals than their fossil-fueled predecessors, according to the International Energy Agency. Similarly, offshore wind turbines require 12 times more metals and minerals to generate electricity than natural gas plants.

The World Bank predicts that the amount of minerals extracted will need to increase fivefold by 2050 to meet growing demand.

This means that more than three billion tons of minerals and metals are needed to power wind, solar and geothermal energy, as well as energy storage.

Proponents of deep-sea mining argue that traditional mining cannot meet demand and point to the poor quality of the minerals due to over-extraction.

However, deep-sea mining also raises environmental concerns.
Currently, few countries dominate the onshore production of key minerals used in clean energy.

Australia leads the way in lithium production, while Chile leads in copper production.

China has turned to graphite and rare earth elements, which are used primarily in high-tech products such as smartphones and computers.

The Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and South Africa are major players in the markets for cobalt, nickel, platinum, and iridium.



China’s Deep-Sea Diving




China is also taking rapid steps to extract these minerals beyond its borders, raising concerns among Beijing’s geopolitical rivals.

China has also focused on deep-sea exploration.

China has received five mining licenses issued by the United Nations agency, the most ever granted by a single country.

India also has two licenses and has applied for two more. Russia has four licenses and shares one with other countries.

“The drive to extract, process and exploit key minerals is accelerating with geopolitical tensions and energy transitions,” says Nathan Picarsic, co-founder of data-gathering firm Horizon Advisory.

But the real geopolitical concern has been China’s role in processing these minerals before they enter the supply chain.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, China currently controls 100% of the supply of refined natural graphite and dysprosium, 70% of cobalt, and about 60% of processed lithium and manganese.

Beijing has also imposed various restrictions on the export of technologies used to process these valuable minerals. China says this is to protect the country’s national security and interests.

The country has banned the export of technology used in rare earth magnets, electric vehicles, wind turbines and some other electronic devices until December 2023.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm highlighted the tensions at the Clean Energy Summit in August 2023, saying, “We are facing a supplier that is willing to use market power as a weapon for political gain.”

Pointing to China’s increasing efforts to acquire these valuable minerals, the commission argued that the US should take strategic steps to reduce its reliance on foreign sources for critical and strategic minerals.

In 2022, the US launched the Mining Safety Partnership with Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission. Italy and India have since joined the club.



What are the caveats about deep-sea mining?


Deep-sea mining has yet to take off as the UN licensing agency, ISA, is still working on regulations.

Meanwhile, some scientists and organizations campaigning for ocean protection are warning about the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining.

Professor Lisa Levin, who works in marine and ocean ecology at the University of California, Berkeley, is a leading figure in her field.

Levin warned:

“When the final ISA regulations are finalized, likely next year, we will still have a gap in understanding how this type of mining could affect deep-sea biodiversity.”

About 20 countries, including Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Finland, Switzerland and Vanuatu, have called for a halt to deep-sea mining until more research is done on its potential impacts on marine ecosystems.

Nevertheless, the Norwegian parliament approved research in Arctic waters in January.

The ISA secretariat explains that member states are “increasingly aware of the potential of the deep seabed for green energy transitions and green technologies.”

Gerard Baron of Canada's The Metals Company, which is exploring the Clarion-Clipperton area, argues that "the current geopolitical situation has given new impetus to interest in seabed mining as the world's three largest countries by population focus on the potential of deep-sea resources."

But campaigners claim that deep-sea mining companies are behind the heated competition between countries.

Louisa Casson, director of Greenpeace's 'Stop Deep Sea Mining' campaign, said:

"They are lobbying governments to open up the oceans to mining by raising geopolitical tensions and talking about supply chain restrictions. They are busy spreading fear."

The ISA, responding to environmentalists' concerns about the lack of information, says it is working with international experts. The agency says there is "no consensus" on the lack of information.