Norway is likely to become the first country in the world to move forward with the controversial practice of commercial-scale deep-sea mining.
The plan, up before a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, will accelerate the hunt for precious metals which are in high demand for green technologies.
Environmental scientists have warned it could be devastating for marine life.
The vote concerns Norwegian waters, but agreement on mining in international waters could also be reached this year. The vote is expected to pass without hindrance after it secured cross-party backing at the end of 2023.
The Norwegian government said it was being cautious and would only begin issuing licences once further environmental studies were carried out. The deep sea hosts potato-sized rocks called nodules and crusts which contain minerals such as lithium, scandium and cobalt, critical for clean technologies, including in batteries.
Norway’s proposal will open up 280,000 sq km (108,000 sq miles) of its national waters for companies to apply to mine these sources – an area bigger than the size of the UK.       Credit: bbc.com
