{"id":29365,"date":"2023-01-30T15:06:56","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T15:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=29365"},"modified":"2023-05-12T13:28:48","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T12:28:48","slug":"mineral-deposits-in-norwegian-seabed-could-fuel-the-green-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/mineral-deposits-in-norwegian-seabed-could-fuel-the-green-transition\/29365\/","title":{"rendered":"Mineral deposits discovered in Norwegian seabed could fuel the global green transition"},"content":{"rendered":"

A resource assessment performed by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has discovered substantial critical mineral deposits in the Norwegian seabed \u2013 potentially enough to satisfy the global demand for many years.<\/h2>\n

The assessment was assigned to NPD by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE). The endeavour has revealed substantial critical mineral deposits on the seabed of the Norwegian shelf, including copper<\/a>, zinc, lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements (REEs) that will be essential for ramping up the production of green technologies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

MPE is responsible for the stewardship of seabed minerals<\/a>, and this report is part of the opening process for exploring these mineral deposits.<\/p>\n

Kjersti Dahle, Director, Technology, Analysis and Coexistence, commented: “The NPD has built up expertise over many years, in part through a number of expeditions. We’ve mapped relevant areas, collected data and taken large volumes of mineral samples.<\/p>\n

“In this resource assessment, we’ve estimated how much of the various minerals might be found on the seabed in the studied area. Going forward, we will continue to reinforce the source data and the way we evaluate these resources.”<\/p>\n

Why are critical minerals key to the green transition?<\/h3>\n

The transition to a net zero future will require an influx of critical minerals, as they are vital components in electric vehicles<\/a> (EVS), wind turbines, and other sustainable technologies that will help decarbonise the planet. However, identifying sufficient mineral deposits to satisfy the growing demand is challenging.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 shutterstock\/Blue Planet Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To overcome this, the NPD has been collecting, managing, and making data from the Norwegian shelf accessible to explore its potential. They have collated data in the deepwater areas in the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea in cooperation with the University of Bergen (UiB) since 2011.<\/p>\n

Additionally, NPD has completed four expeditions between 2018 and 2021 in which high-resolution seabed data was collected on the most exciting mineral deposits. Drilling operations and mineral sample collections were also performed, with their resulting data forming the basis of this resource assessment.<\/p>\n

Dahle added: “We have extensive experience in mapping the subsurface and assessing petroleum resources. I’m glad that with our expertise, we can also contribute to identifying resources that could be important in the energy transition.”<\/p>\n

A closer look at the Norwegian shelf’s composition<\/h3>\n

Norway’s seabed hosts three main types of mineral deposits – manganese nodules, manganese crusts, and sulphides. All of these mineral deposits contain multiple metals and are located at considerable sea depths ranging from 1,500 to 6,000 metres. Manganese crusts and sulphides have been located on the Norwegian shelf at depths of around 3,000 metres.<\/p>\n

The expected values for the sulphides’ total resources include the following:<\/p>\n