Overview

• Norway is set to become the first country to allow commercial deep-sea mining, opening up 108,000 square miles of its national waters to lithium and cobalt licenses.
• The move could revolutionize the global supply of minerals, which are pivotal for an array of clean technologies, including electric batteries.
• Detailed environmental studies will have to be carried out before any mining can take place, potentially delaying extraction until the 2030s.
• None of Norway’s 17 protected marine areas are included in the zones proposed for mining and every commercial license will have to be approved by parliament.
• The move is in stark contrast with the approach taken by other countries like the UK and the European Union, who called for the practice to be temporarily banned.