Harvesting of polymetallic nodules: opportunity for energy transition vs. particulate pollution
(2025) , 63 pages
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- Abstract
- The growing global demand for critical minerals to support the low-carbon transition has spurred increasing interest in deep-sea mining in the eastern Pacific, particularly the extraction of polymetallic nodules (PMN). The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which oversees the environmental impacts related to these activities, currently has a limited capacity to properly assess and mitigate their potential effects on deep-sea ecosystems. We present results from a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model coupled with a Lagrangian sediment transport model aimed at simulating the dispersal of sediment plumes generated by PMN mining operations. It appears that fine particles predominantly control the spatial extent of the impacted area, while effective impact assessment and mitigation strategies show strong sensitivity to the biological threshold of unacceptable harm. A complementary analytical approach — resorting to the concepts of Green's function and residence time — allows estimating the order of magnitude of the ocean bottom surface area impacted by sediment, thereby pointing to the type of PMN collector trajectory minimising some of the aforementioned environmental impacts.
- Affiliations
Citations
Clotman, T., & Deleersnijder, E. (2025). Harvesting of polymetallic nodules: opportunity for energy transition vs. particulate pollution.