In the current discussion on the security of industrial supply with raw materials, the focus is on reliable sources. The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea opens up, among other things, the possibility of mining the seabed (deep-sea mining) in international and national maritime zones. As a supplement to land-based mining, the option of marine mining has now emerged in the form of manganese nodules, massive sulphides and polymetallic crusts, with their high contents of copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, other metals and rare earth elements.

Deep-sea mining is controversial for environmental reasons and requires the highest safety standards. At the same time, it offers interesting new technologies and opportunities for cooperation. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Jamaica has so far granted 30 licences for the exploration and sampling of deposits, including two to Germany. The ISA is currently preparing the “Mining Code” for commercial mining, which will set out the regulations for permitting, safety, environmental protection and taxation.

The more vigorously the new green industries for the energy and transport transition, as well as for the decarbonisation of the entire economy, are pursued, the greater the demand for raw materials. A single marine mining unit could largely replace Germany’s imports of cobalt, manganese and nickel. In the race to minimise interventions in nature, a responsible marine mining technology has the potential to make a contribution and accelerate the energy transition. This requires openness to technology; otherwise, the only alternative is the intensification of land-based mining, with all its negative consequences. Recycling will help a little.

Import-dependent Germany consumes around 6–8% of global mining output. Overall, Germany’s interests in deep-sea mining are threefold:

– securing the supply of raw materials,

– enforcing environmental protection,

– offering new technologies.