Norwegian authorities have stressed the importance of not relying on China or authoritarian countries for minerals essential for renewable technology.
Oslo has also argued that mapping and prospecting will make it possible to fill in knowledge gaps.
“The global transition to a low-carbon society will require huge amounts of minerals and metals,” Astrid Bergmal, state secretary at the energy ministry, told AFP in an email.
“Today, the extraction of minerals is largely concentrated in a small number of countries or companies.
“This can contribute to a vulnerable supply situation, which is challenging, especially in today’s geopolitical situation,” she said.
Some of the minerals are used in the manufacturing of batteries, wind turbines, computers and mobile phones.
Norway insists any potential exploitation would take place only after “responsible and sustainable” methods have been established, and the first projects will have to be approved by the government and parliament in advance.
Oslo plans to open up a 281,000 sq km zone to prospecting – about half the size of France – in the Norwegian and Greenland Seas, and aims to award the first permits in the first half of 2025.
Among those that have protested against Norway’s plans are the European Parliament and environmental protection organisations, while countries like France and the United Kingdom, as well as dozens of large companies, have called for a moratorium on deep sea mining.
