- The National Institute of Ocean Technology recently conducted an exploratory deep-sea mining trial in the Andaman Sea.
- Even as the International Seabed Authority, is yet to finalise the mining code for commercial purposes, those with exploratory licenses have been conducting mining trials in international waters.
- The opposition for deep-sea mining, citing environmental impact, is also at an all-time high.
The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an organisation dedicated to developing technologies for exploring and harnessing ocean resources, conducted a successful exploratory mining trial in October in the Andaman Sea, for obtaining polymetallic nodules from the seabed.
This trial followed the Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) surveys and identification of polymetallic nodules within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Indian government has rights to explore this area in the sea, covering approximately 200 nautical miles, for resources. The area includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, and the Lakshadweep island group in the Laccadive Sea.
The scientists at NIOT, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India, employed a machine called Varaha-3, specially designed for this location. “A machine was developed that can withstand the rigours in the Andaman Sea with it being a rocky area, very unlike the soft soil found at the abyssal plain, and also mine with minimal environmental impact,” shares a senior scientist, from the deep-sea mining team at NIOT. Varaha-3 weighs six to seven tonnes underwater and has a comb-type collector mechanism to pick up the embedded nodules from the sea floor.
What are polymetallic nodules?
The ocean bed has tonnes of potato-sized rocks formed over millions of years, called polymetallic nodules. These nodules contain cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese, among other metals, that are vital for the production of batteries in electronics and electric cars, solar panels, wind turbines, which aid in the energy transition process.
While India’s previous trial at the central Indian Ocean was with another model called Varaha-1 at a test depth of about 5,270 metres, Varaha-3 with similar electrical and hydraulic systems was operated at a depth of 1,200 metres, in India’s EEZ. It collected nodules that ranged in sizes from 60 mm to 120 mm.
As the next step, after a more comprehensive survey of the mineable areas, in collaboration with GSI, NIOT plans for another trial in the Andaman Sea in 2025. According to the deep-sea mining team, this attempt is aimed at proving the technology and the engineering system for collecting and transiting the nodules to the surface.
India’s progress with deep-sea mining
Even as the International Seabed Authority (ISA) responsible for the seabed mining rules, is yet to finalise the mining code for exploitation or commercial purposes, countries or parties with the exploratory licenses have been conducting mining trials in international waters. Some national governments and mining companies plan to begin mining as soon as possible, which could be within the next few years.
The ISA has allocated 75,000 sq. km. area (about 50 times the size of the National Capital Territory of Delhi) in the Central Indian Ocean, to India for conducting exploratory mining. The GSI has also been exploring the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Andaman Sea and Arabian Sea to locate polymetallic nodules and it states that surveys to find more occurrences will continue. The country’s ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ at an estimated cost of Rs. 4,077 crores (Rs. 40 billion), also mentions the development of deep-sea mining technologies as one of its key components. And while the NIOT improves on the mining system, the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology is also working on the technology to extract minerals from polymetallic nodules. It is evident that India is gearing up to harness the deep-sea minerals.
“With respect to the technology readiness level of India’s deep-sea mining system, we still have more steps to complete. We are conducting studies, fixing the configuration, and as we get more information, we are improving the design and making it environment-friendly and efficient. While the trials are conducted in the sea, the plan is to have a complete system for collecting the nodules, sizing and pumping them up to the surface. The separated water thereafter would be disposed responsibly with minimal impact on the environment, adhering to the global standards,” shares the NIOT scientist. The team expects to complete the work in the next few years.
New studies
The resistance to deep-sea mining is simultaneously at an all-time high, globally. More than 900 scientists and policy experts have recommended a pause on deep-sea mining, citing the stress and impact of seabed mining on the marine ecosystem and biodiversity.
“Within just two years, 32 countries have announced their commitment to a precautionary pause or moratorium. In addition to states, financial institutions representing trillions of dollars, automakers, battery companies, fishing groups, Indigenous communities, human rights and climate activists, youth, and others from all walks of life, are recognising that our planet does not need deep-sea mining and are calling for a moratorium. The message is crystal clear: humanity must find harmony with nature,” says Sofia Tsenikli, from Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an alliance of organisations working to promote the conservation of biodiversity on the high seas.
Earlier this year, a study published in Nature Geoscience claimed that dark oxygen is produced at the abyssal seafloor containing polymetallic nodules, at the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific. The study funded by Canada-based The Metals Company that aims to mine polymetallic nodules at CCZ, started debates within the scientific community. Independent researchers and mining companies voiced their scepticism and critique. However, the study also highlighted how little we know and understand about the deep-sea.
Deep-Sea Mining and the Water Column, a book published earlier this year, edited by deep-sea mining consultant and former chief scientist at National Institute of Oceanography, Rahul Sharma, spotlights the impact of plumes and waste discharge from the mining operations, in the water column. In another book published in 2022, Sharma outlines the likely environmental impacts of deep-sea mining which includes the potential mortality of zooplankton species at mid-water depths.
Another study published last year in Current Biology found that an estimated 88%–92% of species in the CCZ region in total are undescribed. Researchers have foregrounded the impact of mining on benthic ecosystems and the stress from noise pollution caused by mining.
With each new study, scientists uncover previously unknown species and complex interconnections within these ecosystems. Some ecologists worry that mining in these areas could destroy habitats before we even know what lives there, and before we understand their roles in the ecosystem or their potential benefits to humanity. “There is consensus among independent scientists that there is currently no way to avoid irreversible and permanent damage to deep-sea species and ecosystems if deep-sea mining were to go ahead,” Tsenikli adds.
The decade of the ocean
As the world inches towards the halfway mark of the United Nations Ocean Decade (2021-2030), those in favour of deep-sea mining explorations recall the mission of “transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and our ocean.” The Ocean Decade aims to both conserve and sustainably use the oceans and marine resources.
In conversation with Mongabay India, Sharma shares, “Any scientific research is an ongoing exercise. The awareness about the environmental impacts of mining, is increasing. So, the technologists are becoming conscious and are designing systems that minimise the environmental impact. Right now we are testing the pre-pilot mining systems and the emphasis is already about minimising the interaction on the seabed. India is headed in the right direction.”
One of the main concerns of ecologists is the discharge of waste water after the nodules are pumped up to the surface and sorted. “It is preferred that the waste water be discharged as close to the seabed as possible. The discharge should be done below the oxygen minimum zone, the depth where the oxygen saturation is the lowest, to avoid impacting many mammals and benthic ecosystems,” Sharma says.
However, a call for a moratorium is “a regressive step”, he says. “The world must decide for itself whether it needs the resources for the future. While we don’t yet have the data for what impact long-term seabed mining would have, we do have benthic impact studies and results from exploration trials. Modelling systems can be used calculate the impacts of long-term commercial mining.”
Meanwhile, the DSCC sees a pivotal shift in the recent ISA meetings. “The ISA is no longer operating in a bubble. Heads of state, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth, are now coming to the ISA and demanding the Authority prioritises precaution and science over mining interests,” shares Tsenikli. “The DSCC looks forward to Leticia Carvalho taking charge as the new Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority in January 2025, and hope to see transparency, sustainability and science become central to her reign of the institution that is responsible for the common heritage of humankind,” she concludes.
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Banner image: Varaha-3 being deployed in the Andaman Sea for an exploratory mining trial. Image courtesy National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
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