Norway has halted its contentious initiative to open its seabed for large-scale deep-sea mining.
Oslo had intended to allow companies to apply for mining rights over 280,000 square kilometres (108,000 square miles) of its waters for valuable metals – an area larger than the UK. The decision was halted after the Socialist Left Party refused to back the government’s budget unless the first licensing round, scheduled for 2025, was abandoned.
Environmental scientists had cautioned that the move could devastate marine life, while 32 countries, including France, Canada, Brazil, and Germany, opposed the plans.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described Sunday’s development as a “postponement” and stated that preparatory work on regulations and environmental impact assessments would continue. Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle of Greenpeace Norway hailed the pause as “a huge win”.
The Energy Ministry of Norway has not yet provided a statement. Norway became the first country to advance commercial-scale deep-sea mining when it approved the plans in January. The deep sea contains minerals such as lithium, scandium, and cobalt, essential for green technologies.
Although these metals are available on land, they are concentrated in a few countries, posing supply risks. Oslo indicated it did not want to depend on China for these materials, asserting that licences would only be issued after further environmental research.
This move placed Norway in conflict with the EU and the UK, both of which have advocated for a temporary ban on the practice due to environmental concerns.
Over 100 EU lawmakers urged Oslo to reject the project, citing risks to marine biodiversity and the acceleration of climate change. The country’s Institute of Marine Research criticised the government’s environmental impact research, stating that an additional five to ten years of study was required.
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 planned to participate in the first licensing round.
Frances Ibiefo
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