Norway has halted its controversial plan to open up its seabed for commercial-scale deep-sea mining.
Oslo had initially intended to allow companies to apply for mining licenses for 280,000 sq km (108,000 sq miles) of its waters—an area larger than the UK. However, the project was blocked after the Socialist Left Party threatened not to support the government’s budget unless the first licensing round, set for 2025, was canceled.
Environmental scientists had warned that the move could have catastrophic consequences for marine life, and 32 countries, including France, Canada, Brazil, and Germany, opposed the plans. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoer called Sunday’s development a “postponement,” adding that preparatory work on regulations and environmental impact assessments would continue.
Greenpeace Norway’s Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle called the pause “a huge win.”
“It has been truly embarrassing to watch Norway positioning itself as an ocean leader, while planning to give the green light to ocean destruction in its own waters.”
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Norway’s energy ministry has not yet commented.
In January, Norway became the first country in the world to approve commercial-scale deep-sea mining. The deep sea is rich in minerals like lithium, scandium, and cobalt, which are essential for green technologies. While these metals are also available on land, they are concentrated in a few countries, creating a supply risk.
Oslo expressed a desire not to depend on China for such materials, emphasizing that it would only issue licenses once further environmental research was conducted.
This decision placed Norway at odds with the EU and the UK, both of which have called for a temporary ban on deep-sea mining due to concerns over potential environmental damage.
More than 100 EU lawmakers urged Oslo to reject the deep-sea mining project, citing concerns over the risks “to marine biodiversity and the acceleration of climate change.”
Norway’s Institute of Marine Research criticized the government’s environmental impact research, stating that an additional five to ten years of work were needed.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Norway announced last week that it was suing the government over the plans.
At least three Norwegian seabed mineral start-ups had expressed interest in bidding during the first licensing round.
On Monday, one of the start-ups, Green Minerals, stated that it expected a delay of up to a year due to the suspension of the plans.
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