Deep-Sea Mining: Global Tendencies

The article examines the situation in the field of mining from the bottom of the World Ocean, which developed after the election of the new Secretary General of the International Seabed Authority of the United Nations in the summer of 2024. It describes the ambiguous balance of forces in international politics on this issue, which is becoming one of the most important in the context of the growing shortage of rare earth metals in the global raw materials market. The positions of key players are demonstrated (from the desire for the early adoption of international agreements on deep-sea mining to the complete prohibition of the development of raw materials at the bottom of the oceans). More than 30 countries are calling for a moratorium on deep-sea extraction of raw materials. Special attention is paid in the article to the activities of underwater mining, which is currently unfolding in Arctic waters. The technological competition between China and Norway for leadership in the field of underwater mining is shown. The key scientific and technical developments in the field of underwater robotics that contribute to solving a number of engineering problems of deep-sea mining are described. Achievements in terms of the long-term stay of robotic complexes in the underwater position, in terms of the accuracy of work in the bottom space, and some other engineering and technical achievements are described. Special attention is paid to the complexity of the issues of ensuring the environmental safety of the technological processes under consideration, their potential danger to many fragile ecosystems of the World Ocean. Along with this, it is also noted that the technologies for extracting minerals from the bottom of the World Ocean will develop and the industrial development of deep-sea deposits will take place in the coming years.