NOAA OKs First Deep-Sea Mining Plan for Critical Minerals in Pacific Ocean

The permit still needs to meet environmental approvals before The Metals Company can start work.

The surface production vessel Hidden Gem during successful test mining in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean in 2022. The Metals Company

The Trump administration approved on May 1 its first deep-sea critical minerals exploration application, submitted by North Carolina-based deep-sea mining explorer The Metals Company USA (TMC).

The company expects to find millions of tons of nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese on the sea floor needed in the United States for electric vehicle batteries, infrastructure, and national defense systems.