The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has discovered large critical mineral deposits in the Norwegian seabed.
The assessment was commissioned by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE), which is responsible for the stewardship of seabed minerals.
The discovered minerals include copper, zinc, lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements essential for the green transition, such as EVs and wind turbines.
The NPD has been collecting data on the potential of Norwegian shelf's mineral deposits since 2011 and has completed four expeditions to collect high-resolution seabed data.
The seabed hosts three main types of mineral deposits, including manganese nodules, crusts, and sulphides. NPD's resource assessment provides robust estimates of seabed minerals, but further investigations and technological solutions are needed to confirm their obtainability and environmental impact.
This discovery could be critical to securing global supply chains for these precious minerals.
