A New Mining Ship Sucks Metals Off The Seafloor. Is That A Good Idea? | Big Business

Summary

Scientists and a Canadian startup, the Metals Company, are exploring deep-sea mining for valuable metals needed for renewable energy technologies. The company claims this method causes less environmental damage than land mining, but environmentalists argue the risks are too high. The debate centers on the potential ecological impact of extracting billions of tons of seafloor nodules, which could provide metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, versus the environmental costs of land-based mining.

Takeaways

• 🌊 Scientists are exploring the deep sea to collect valuable metal nodules for renewable energy technologies before the seafloor is mined.
• 🚀 The Metals Company, a Canadian startup, is pioneering the effort to mine these nodules, potentially being the first to do so on a commercial scale.
• 🌍 The Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean is one of the most promising areas for nodule mining, with nearly 20 companies and countries interested.
• 🔍 The mining process involves a large collector vehicle that operates like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up nodules and some sediment from the seafloor.
• 🔬 Environmental concerns are raised by activists and experts, fearing the potential damage to the deep-sea ecosystem, which is home to unique and undiscovered species.
• 🔄 The company plans to build processing centers to refine the nodules into useful metals, aiming to be powered by renewable energy and to recycle battery metals.
• 🏭 Deep-sea mining is presented as a less damaging alternative to land mining, but the long-term environmental impact is still uncertain.
• 🌿 The removal of nodules could disrupt the habitat of deep-sea creatures that rely on these rocks for attachment, potentially causing harm to these species.
• ♻️ There is a debate on whether deep-sea mining would reduce land-based mining or if it would simply add to the overall extraction of metals.
• ⏳ The Metals Company is awaiting permission from the International Seabed Authority to scale up its mining operations, with a planned full-scale operation by 2025.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of deep-sea mining according to the Metals Company?

The primary goal of deep-sea mining by the Metals Company is to extract polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor, which contain valuable metals like nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese that are essential for building electric-car batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels.

What is the environmental concern associated with deep-sea mining?

Environmental activists are concerned that deep-sea mining could disrupt one of the least-explored ecosystems on Earth by kicking up sediment clouds, affecting sea life, and removing nodules that serve as habitat for certain creatures, potentially causing long-term damage to the ocean floor.

How does the Metals Company defend deep-sea mining as being less harmful than land-based mining?

The Metals Company claims that deep-sea mining generates zero waste and tailings, does not risk child labor, and could reduce deforestation and other environmental damage associated with land-based mining in biodiverse regions. However, there is no guarantee that land-based mining would decrease as a result.

How long does it take for a polymetallic nodule to form?

It takes millions of years for polymetallic nodules to form. A layer just a few millimeters thick can take a million years to accumulate.

What are some species found in the deep-sea mining zones?

Recent expeditions have discovered unique species in the deep-sea mining zones, including a never-before-seen octopus, eels, sea cucumbers, and other creatures, some of which are attached to the polymetallic nodules themselves.

What challenges are posed by sediment clouds in deep-sea mining?

Sediment clouds created during deep-sea mining can impact sea life by blocking sunlight and spreading over a wider area. The Metals Company is testing ways to release sediment at the right depth to minimize its impact.

Why is there skepticism about the environmental research funded by the Metals Company?

Critics argue that research funded by the Metals Company may be biased because the company is financially invested in the mining venture. They question whether the research can be trusted if it's paid for by the mining company itself.

What are the potential benefits of processing polymetallic nodules at scale?

The Metals Company plans to build processing centers to melt and refine the polymetallic nodules into valuable metals for renewable energy technologies. The company envisions powering these centers with renewable energy and recycling battery metals in the future.

What is the argument for deep-sea mining over land-based mining?

Proponents of deep-sea mining argue that it could reduce the environmental damage caused by land-based mining, such as deforestation and human rights abuses like child labor. They also claim deep-sea mining generates less waste than land-based operations.

What is the International Seabed Authority's role in deep-sea mining?

The International Seabed Authority is responsible for regulating and granting permissions for deep-sea mining. The Metals Company needs approval from the authority to scale up mining operations, and there is concern about whether this process has been transparent and thorough.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Deep-Sea Mining: The New Frontier

Scientists are exploring the least-explored ecosystems of the ocean's depths to study alien-like creatures before a new industry disrupts their habitat. The Metals Company, a Canadian startup, is pioneering the extraction of polymetallic nodules from the seafloor, which contain valuable metals needed for electric-car batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels. The company's test run resulted in the largest haul of these nodules to date. Despite claims that deep-sea mining is less damaging than land mining, environmental activists argue that the risks are not worth it and have called for a pause in mining operations until the ecosystem can be further studied.

05:01

🚀 First Commercial Collection of Deep-Sea Nodules

The Metals Company has achieved the first commercial collection of deep-sea nodules, with a haul of 3,000 metric tons. The company plans to build processing centers to refine these rocks into valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese. Despite criticism regarding the rushed and secretive approval process for mining, the company is conducting environmental impact studies to understand the effects of their operations. The company's CEO, Gerard Barron, emphasizes the importance of this mission for gaining insights into deep-sea mining and the potential benefits of replacing some land-based mining with this new method.

10:04

🌱 Balancing Environmental Concerns with Renewable Energy Needs

The debate over deep-sea mining is complex, with the Metals Company arguing that their operations generate zero waste and tailings, and could help reduce deforestation and other environmental issues associated with land-based mining. However, critics, including Greenpeace, argue that the environmental benefits are overstated and that mining the seafloor poses an imminent threat to marine life. The company is testing the optimal depth for mining to minimize sediment cloud impact and is expected to release an environmental impact statement in 2023. The narrative also highlights the potential for deep-sea mining to contribute to the global need for metals to transition to renewable energy, as stated by the International Energy Agency.

Keywords

💡Deep-sea mining

Deep-sea mining refers to the practice of extracting minerals from the ocean floor, typically in areas that are miles below the surface. In the video, this concept is central as it discusses the potential environmental impacts and the race to extract valuable metals from the seafloor for renewable energy technologies. The Metals Company is highlighted as a pioneer in this industry, with their test run showcasing the collection of the world's biggest haul of metal nodules.

💡Polymetallic nodules

Polymetallic nodules are rock formations found on the deep ocean floor that contain valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese. These nodules are the target of deep-sea mining operations as depicted in the video, where they are described as forming over millions of years and being akin to a 'jawbreaker candy' in appearance. Their extraction is a key focus of the Metals Company's mission.

💡Environmental activists

Environmental activists are individuals or groups who advocate for the protection of the environment and oppose activities that may cause harm to ecosystems. In the video, they are shown expressing concerns about the potential negative effects of deep-sea mining, such as sediment dumping and the destruction of habitats for unique deep-sea species. They call for a halt to these activities until more is known about the ecosystems that could be affected.

💡Renewable energy

Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, are those that are naturally replenished and have a lower environmental impact compared to fossil fuels. The video discusses the irony of deep-sea mining, which is driven by the need for metals to build components of renewable energy systems like electric-car batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels. The potential environmental trade-offs between mining for sustainable technologies and the potential damage to the deep sea are a central theme.

💡International Seabed Authority

The International Seabed Authority is an organization that governs the mining of minerals in international waters. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as the body that would grant permission for companies like the Metals Company to scale up their deep-sea mining operations. The narrative suggests that there is controversy around the speed and transparency of this approval process.

💡Ecosystem

An ecosystem refers to a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding and preserving the deep-sea ecosystem, which is one of the least explored and most mysterious on Earth. The potential disruption of these ecosystems by deep-sea mining activities is a significant concern raised by environmentalists and scientists.

💡Sediment dumping

Sediment dumping in the context of deep-sea mining refers to the practice of releasing the sediment and other materials that are brought up with the nodules during the mining process. The video shows environmental activists using leaked video footage to argue that this practice can have detrimental effects on marine life by blocking sunlight and spreading over a wide area.

💡Metals Company

The Metals Company is a Canadian startup featured in the video that is focused on deep-sea mining for metals used in renewable energy technologies. The company's mission, technology, and approach to environmental impact are central to the video's narrative. It is portrayed as being on the cutting edge of an industry that could have significant implications for the future of energy and the health of the oceans.

💡Clarion-Clipperton Zone

The Clarion-Clipperton Zone is a region in the Pacific Ocean that is known for its rich deposits of polymetallic nodules. It is mentioned in the video as one of the most promising areas for deep-sea mining, with nearly 20 companies and countries racing to exploit its resources. The zone's vastness, comparable to the size of the continental United States, underscores the scale of interest in deep-sea mining.

💡Tailings

Tailings are the waste materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the ore during mining. In the video, the Metals Company's CEO argues that deep-sea mining generates zero waste and tailings, unlike land-based mining, which can leave behind large amounts of tailings that, if not managed properly, can cause environmental pollution.

Highlights

Scientists are exploring the deep ocean to study alien-like creatures before a new industry moves in.

The industry aims to extract rocks from the seafloor, rich in materials needed for electric-car batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels.

Canadian startup, the Metals Company, could pioneer deep-sea mining with a recent successful test run.

The company collected the world's largest haul of metal nodules, which formed over millions of years.

Deep-sea mining is claimed to do less environmental damage than land mining, but the long-term effects are uncertain.

Environmental activists argue that deep-sea mining poses significant risks to the marine ecosystem.

Hundreds of experts call for a pause in deep-sea mining to further study the impact on the least-explored ecosystems.

The Metals Company's mining technology operates like a vacuum cleaner, collecting rocks and some sediment from the seafloor.

The company's mining ship, the Hidden Gem, was retrofitted from an oil drill to collect and store nodules.

The collected nodules contain valuable metals like nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese.

The Metals Company plans to build processing centers to refine the rocks into useful metals, powered by renewable energy.

The company is awaiting permission from the International Seabed Authority to scale up its mining operations.

Researchers are studying the environmental impact of mining, including the effects of sediment clouds and noise on deep-sea life.

Activist groups have shared videos claiming to show the mining ship spilling wastewater, which the company denies.

The deep-sea environment, despite being called a 'desert,' is home to unique and undiscovered species.

Removing nodules could disrupt the habitat of deep-sea creatures that rely on them for attachment.

Land-based mining has been linked to environmental and human rights issues, including child labor and deforestation.

The CEO of the Metals Company argues that deep-sea mining generates zero waste and could help reduce land deforestation.

Experts suggest starting with small-scale mining to better understand the environmental trade-offs of deep-sea mining.

The International Energy Agency states that to combat climate change, the world needs to significantly increase metal mining, including from the deep sea.

Transcripts

Narrator: Miles below the surface of the ocean,

scientists are collecting alien-like creatures

from one of the world's least-explored ecosystems.

They're studying what lives down here

before a new industry moves in

to vacuum tons of rocks from the seafloor,

each one packed full of ingredients

needed to build electric-car batteries,

wind turbines, and solar panels.

There could be billions of tons

of valuable nodules in the ocean.

A Canadian startup called the Metals Company

could be the first to cash in,

and on this test run,

it scooped up the world's biggest haul yet.

You're looking at a cargo hold full of clumps of

metal that formed over millions of years.

Gerard: This is history.

I've never stood in this.

No one has. No one.

Narrator: The CEO says

deep-sea mining does less damage than mining on land,

though no one really knows for sure yet.

Should we be going to dig up our rainforest

to get these metals,

or should we be going to this abyssal zone to pick up rocks?

Narrator: But as the company toasts

to a successful pilot mission,

environmental activists say deep-sea mining

is not worth the risks.

James: We call on you to stop plundering the seafloor.

Narrator: They say they have leaked video

of sediment dumping that proves their point.

Crowd: Keep it in the ground,

just keep it in the ground!

Narrator: Hundreds of experts

have called for a pause on this kind of mining

until one of the world's most mysterious ecosystems

can be studied further.

Please do the science before you go in and destroy.

Narrator: Can vacuuming billions of rocks

from the deep sea

really help power a switch to renewable energy?

And is this kind of mining

actually any better than mining on land?

We went aboard the Hidden Gem

to see what mining the deep sea really looks like.

These rocks are called polymetallic nodules.

If you cut one in half,

the inside is kind of like a jawbreaker candy.

Each one begins with a fragment,

like a shark tooth or shell.

Over millions of years,

metal particles from the water and sediment build up.

A layer just a few millimeters thick

can take a million years to form.

Nodules are found in flat, soft parts

of the deep ocean around the world.

One of the most promising nodule fields

is in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone,

a stretch of Pacific Ocean floor

about as wide as the continental United States.

Nearly 20 companies and countries

are racing to launch the deep-sea mining industry here

Much of it is reserved for developing nations,

so The Metals Company partnered with 3 Pacific Island countries,

to be able to explore their plots.

Gerard Barron is on a decade-long quest to mine the deep.

His last venture ran out of money.

Gerard: I wanted to do something that was near impossible.

You know, I was pretty sure that if I didn't do this,

then it may not move forward. And that would be a travesty.

Narrator: He's the CEO of the Metals Company ...

Narrator: ... which in November finished a 10-week trial run

collecting nodules from the deep.

Gerard: Today marks one of the most important proof points

the technology is available to collect these rocks

at a commercial scale.

Narrator: Here's how it works.

The ship lowers a collector vehicle into the water.

This prototype weighs 90 tons

and is about the size of a minibus.

Narrator: Operators drive the collector remotely

from inside this control room.

Narrator: Each vehicle has four nozzles

and sensors that adjust their positions.

Rutger: They hover just above the seabed,

and the nodules that are laying there

are sucked into the nozzle.

They work kind of like a vacuum cleaner.

Narrator: The machine also collects

the top few centimeters of mud.

Internal pumps separate that from the rocks

and shoot some of the sediment back out.

Next, air bubbles push rocks, mud, and seawater up a tube

that can extend up to 2.5 miles.

After about 12 minutes, the slurry reaches the surface.

A whirlpool uses gravity

to separate the nodules from water and sediment.

The Hidden Gem was originally built to drill for oil.

The Metals Company

and its engineering partner, called Allseas,

retrofitted it to collect and store nodules.

The pile in this hold is the expedition's harvest.

The company says it's 3,000 metric tons.

Gerard: This is the first time a commercial collection

of this scale has ever been done.

Narrator: Many rocks break apart

on their way up to the ship.

Rutger: They are quite brittle,

but still, the product is very valuable

for extraction of nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese.

Narrator: Most of the nodules will stay in storage

until the company scales up.

The Metals Company's ultimate plan

is to build processing centers at ports

that will melt and refine the rocks

into separate streams of useful metals.

The company wants those facilities

to be powered on renewable energy

and eventually plans to recycle battery metals as well.

But first, it needs permission

from the International Seabed Authority to scale up mining.

Some have criticized that process,

saying approval to explore mining in the first place

has been rushed and secretive.

But the CEO says this mission

will provide insights about mining

that you can only get by mining.

Gerard: If you're going to move an industry from an idea

into commercial production, you need to do this.

All of this data is going to be so important

as we build a picture

and prepare our finalized environmental impact study.

Narrator: Researchers hired by the Metals Company

sail alongside the mining ship in this science vessel.

They're taking samples before and after harvesting

to see how kicking up clouds of sediment

or creating lots of noise affects the deep-sea environment.

Gerard: I sometimes hear our critics say,

"But how can we trust the science if you're paying for it?"

I say to them, "Well, who's going to pay for it?

If I'm not going to pay for it, I'm sure you're not either."

Narrator: The company's environmental impact statement

based on this mission

is expected in the second half of 2023.

And one of the main questions is what to do

with the water and sediment sucked up with the nodules.

The Metals Company is still testing out the right depth

to minimize the impact of sediment clouds,

but estimates it's below 1,200 meters.

If it's closer to the surface,

it can block sunlight to sea life below

and spread to a wider area.

Activist groups shared these video clips with Insider.

They say it shows the Hidden Gem

spilling wastewater onto the surface.

The Metals Company responded with their own video

saying it was a temporary overflow from the whirlpool,

which it says ran over the deck and out of these pipes.

In an email, the company said

the event "did not have the potential to cause harm."

Insider could not verify

whether the videos show the same event.

Experts told us loose sediment

could impact sea life down below.

Narrator: A promotional video from the Metals Company

calls this mining area ...

Video: A vast underwater desert.

Narrator: But even deserts have life in them,

and this stretch of seafloor does, too.

Many of the species in the dark, high-pressure habitat

haven't been found anywhere else on Earth.

Recent expeditions have found a never-before-seen octopus,

a swarm of eels eating bait,

plus sea cucumbers, fish,

and stuff we didn't even have a name for yet.

Like this thing with nearly 7-foot-long tentacles.

It's attached to a sponge stalk, which is stuck on a nodule.

That's a key detail.

The rocks seem to give some creatures on the soft seafloor

something to hold onto.

So no matter how careful the miners are not to stir up sand,

removing nodules would take away key habitat

and likely kill any animals attached to them.

Narrator: What we do know is that mining metals on land

can have devastating effects.

The cobalt rush in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

has been linked to human-rights abuses,

including the use of child labor.

Narrator: In Indonesia and the Philippines,

nickel-mining operations led to

the deforestation of tropical areas.

But some mines are managed better than others.

Gavin: You have people promoting deep-sea mining often argue

that all land-based mining is inherently badly managed,

and that's not true.

There are certainly many cases where it is,

but there are certainly many cases where it's not.

Narrator: Ores mined on land also leave behind

lots of leftovers, called tailings.

These can leach dangerous pollution into water and soil

if not disposed of properly.

The CEO believes seafloor mining solves that waste issue

and has other benefits, too.

We generate zero waste and zero tailings.

We don't have the risk of any child labor.

We can commercially pick up these rocks

and help stop some of the terrible deforestation

of our most biodiverse habitats on land.

Narrator: That would mean replacing

some land-based mining with deep-sea mining.

But experts say there's no evidence

land-based mining would go away

or even decline if we mine the seafloor.

James: Hidden Gem, Hidden Gem, Hidden Gem.

Narrator: On November 16,

a Greenpeace campaigner radioed the mining ship at sea

to tell the crew his concerns.

Deep-sea mining is an imminent threat to the ocean

and the vast array of wondrous marine life.

Narrator: The activist says

the environmental benefits the company touts

are just marketing spin.

Narrator: Ultimately, experts say

mining always has trade-offs, no matter where you do it.

Narrator: Experts told Insider

the best way to make that decision is by starting small.

Narrator: Right now, 22 companies and governments

have contracts to explore deep-sea mining

in international waters.

The Metals Company says it could begin full-scale operations

as soon as 2025.

To shift away from fossil fuels,

energy experts say we need metals

for batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines now.

Narrator: The International Energy Agency says

that to avoid the worst effects

of climate change in coming decades,

the world needs to mine at least four times as many metals

as it does now.

Nodules could help with that,

but we'll still need a lot of metals from land,

and a lot more recycling.