MINERALS PROCESSING
DEEP SEA MINING:
OVERLOOKED CONSIDE�ATIONS OF A SUPPLY CHAIN RESHUFFLE The mining industry, along with many other industries throughout the world, is in the throes of upheaval, as countries scramble to establish secure, reliable supply chains for critical minerals. To stay abreast of this demand, the industry is reassessing the way it looks at mining and is turning towards assessing different ways these minerals can be mined.
C
ritical minerals are those that are considered critical for the clean energy transition. To keep abreast of the impending increase in demand for these minerals, the mining and resources sector must branch out and expand its mining capabilities. Dr Éléonore Lèbre from The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute is one individual who is directing the conversation, examining the potential of deep sea mining (DSM) to meet this mineral demand and demonstrating how it may cause more problems for the industry than it can solve. In a speech delivered at the 26th World Mining Congress, Dr Lèbre discussed the somewhat controversial topic of DSM in international waters and explored some of the overlooked considerations that a reshuffling in the supply source might bring to light.1 Dr Lèbre opened with the disclaimer that she does not consider herself an expert in deep sea mining, and instead examines the issue as a professional with knowledge about the mining industry and addressing global trends, including the energy transition and the global demand for critical minerals. The topic of DSM is considered by some to be controversial, with many holding strong opinions about it, which led to Dr Lèbre stressing the importance of clearly distinguishing between what is known and what is less known on the topic. “A global energy transition is underway, and low-carbon energy technologies all require a wide range of minerals and metals that will initially have to be sourced through mining,” Dr Lèbre said. When considering the methods for mining, many turn to terrestrial mining as the method to mine for these minerals and metals. However, some of these minerals and metals can be found in large quantities in the deep sea. Cobalt, copper, manganese, and nickel in particular, are found in high 1.
52
concentrations in potato-sized lumps called polymetallic nodules, which have been the main exploration targets in international waters.
Issues in the critical mineral supply race
According to Dr Lèbre, the nexus between the energy transition and the mining sector has given rise to a lot of concerns. More than 100 new policies have been designed to address the issue of sourcing the critical minerals required to facilitate the energy transition. Decision makers are concerned about two big issues when it comes to sourcing these minerals; that supply will be disrupted, which would delay or even compromise the energy transition, and that transitioning to renewable energy would come with significant social and environmental impacts, induced by mining activities. Proponents of DSM claim that the activity would be able to address both of these concerns. In terms of the concern for supply risk, advocates say that DSM will contribute to energy security by diversifying supply and providing much needed metals at a low cost, thanks to increased competition between suppliers. These supporters also say that DSM would reduce reliance on countries like China that currently have an overly strong influence on supply and in some cases a near monopoly. Supporters also claim that DSM may have the potential to be less harmful than conventional mining, citing human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo around cobalt mining, and deforestation in Indonesia caused by nickel mining.
Risk of supply disruption: a reasonable concern?
Among the data spurring critical mineral mining on, Dr Lèbre said there were a few doomsday scenarios, both in academia and elsewhere, that predict that mineral resources are
Éléonore Lèbre, Anthony Kung, Ekaterina Savinova, Rick K. Valenta, Mining on land or in the deep sea? Overlooked considerations of a reshuffling in the supply source mix, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 191 (2023), 106898
Spring 2023 \\ ISSUE 4
www.miningmagazine.com.au