Tammilica Mamata Banerjee's Government Plans for Extensive Manganese Nodule Mining
A Canadian firm named The Metals Company (TMC) is planning to initiate large-scale deep-sea mining in the Pacific Ocean as early as 2026. TMC's CEO, Gerard Barron, confirmed this timeline during the Pacific Island Forum in Tonga. The primary objective is to extract manganese nodules from the seafloor, which contain not just manganese but also valuable metals like cobalt, copper, and nickel - crucial components in battery manufacturing for electric vehicles.
Nauru, a small island nation, stands behind TMC in this venture. Barron is part of the Nauru delegation at the island forum. Tonga and the Cook Islands also support the intensification of deep-sea mining. However, Palau, Fiji, and Samoa remain doubtful and insist on investigating potential environmental consequences first.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), in charge of permitting deep-sea mining, has been working on a regulatory framework for over a decade. Due to the delay, as of 2023, countries can now apply for mining permits on behalf of corporations.
TMC CEO downplays environmental worries as activist alarmism
Nauru, spanning 20 square kilometers and inhabited by 12,500 people, is among the tiniest nations globally. The island nation lays claim to seabed resources across over 70,000 square kilometers in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Manganese nodules, rich in organic matter, exhibit structures akin to shark teeth or whale bones. Over millions of years, microbes deposit metals within their cores.
Environmental scientists and organizations express concern that deep-sea mining of these polymetallic nodules could irrevocably damage pristine marine ecosystems. TMC CEO Barron dismisses such concerns as unnecessary activist panic. He anticipates growing interest in deep-sea mining among Pacific nations.
Nauru harbors aspirations of returning to its former prosperity. During its glory days, thanks to phosphate mining, it ranked as one of the wealthiest nations globe-wide in terms of GDP per capita. However, the resources have long since been depleted, and excessive mining has left much of the island a desolate lunar landscape.
TMC's CEO, Gerard Barron, believes that environmental concerns about deep-sea mining are mere activist alarmism, as the company places a high priority on implementing environmentally responsible mining practices during the extraction of manganese nodules. Furthermore, Barron asserts that education about the benefits of deep-sea mining and its potential to boost the economy of countries like Nauru is crucial for building support among Pacific nations.
