Halen we onze grondstoffen binnenkort uit de oceaan? | VPRO Tegenlicht

Metals such as cobalt, manganese and nickel are essential for the production of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries for electric cars. Due to the energy transition, we will need more of these metals in the next thirty years than in the entire history of mankind. In order to meet the demand to some extent, we are now dependent on destructive mining in Congo and Indonesia, which is largely controlled by China.

However, in the Pacific Ocean, four to six kilometres below sea level, the necessary raw materials are apparently there for the taking. Canadian, Norwegian and also Dutch companies are therefore eager to start mining these raw materials with the latest technology. Could this be a solution for Western dependence on China?

Deep sea mining is, especially due to the immense pressure, a voyage of discovery in itself, in which hundreds of millions have been invested for years. The first permits can be issued at any moment. However, the deep sea is still largely a mystery to science. Environmental organizations such as Greenpeace fear irreversible ecological damage to life in the deep sea. But in order to be able to carry out our energy transition, the question is whether we have a choice.

At the start of this crucial year for deep sea mining, VPRO Tegenlicht not only follows the companies in this emerging industry, but also speaks to a deep sea biologist and is present at a Greenpeace action that strongly opposes this development. The energy transition appears to be more profitable, but also more complex and especially dirtier than it seems at first glance.

Archive: Schmidt Ocean Institute, Norwegian Offshore Directorate, Geomar, NATO

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