Deep-sea mining e minerali critici: una nuova frontiera della competizione strategica globale

Translated by Federica Conti

The process of deep-sea mining, namely the extraction of mineral resources from the deep ocean floor, is emerging as one of the most interesting themes in the international debate on critical minerals. It is not only a technological or industrial issue. The theme is connected to a broader framework in which economic security, supply chain resilience, and strategic competition are more interconnected than before. Therefore, ocean floors are seen as a new frontier for diversification. 

The interest in deep-sea mining is mainly driven by the presence of polymetallic nodules with minerals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese. These materials are essential for batteries, energy technologies, and strategic industrial processes. With rising demand and concentrated supply chains, access to new resources gains both political and economic significance. Deep-sea mining is no longer just a technical issue; it has entered the geopolitical arena. 

The main issue is not just the availability of resources. It concerns how these minerals fit into global competition marked by major imbalances. Critical minerals affect not only the extractive industry but also advanced economies, energy transition, and technological independence amid growing rivalry. The geographic concentration of refining is crucial. Supply chains remain heavily imbalanced, and China’s position is strong in both refining and battery recycling.

It is in this context that deep-sea mining acquires a strategic relevance. When access to certain materials becomes essential for advanced technologies, industrial production, and, in certain cases, defence systems, the control of supply chains is not only an issue for the market anymore, but it becomes a source of power. The ability to secure stable, diversified supplies that are less exposed to external dependencies thus becomes part of national security. From this perspective, the ocean floor is not merely a potential mineral reserve, but a new arena in which competition for control over the strategic resources of the future is reflected.

For the USA, the theme is clearly connected to the need to reduce vulnerabilities considered increasingly problematic. The possibility of accessing new sources of nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese is discussed as one of the options identified to reduce the dependence on the supply chains where China holds a central position. However, it is precisely here that a first note of caution is needed. The fact that the seabed contains significant resources does not mean that they can already translate into a concrete strategic advantage. There is still no established extraction activity on an industrial scale, nor a fully developed supply chain capable of automatically turning that availability into economic and geopolitical autonomy.

Moreover, this aspect is essential to understanding the relationship between China and the rest of the world, because the future development of deep-sea mining would not produce an immediate rebalancing. If other actors were unable to simultaneously develop capacities in processing, refining, and industrial integration, new sources of supply would risk not truly altering the balance of power at the most critical stages of the value chain. In other words, the issue is not only access to raw materials, but control over those segments that transform resources into industrial capacity, economic influence, and strategic advantage.

The impact on international security comes precisely from this convergence among resources, technology, and power. The materials contained in the polymetallic nodules are relevant for batteries, electric motors, advanced technologies, and even certain weapon systems. Consequently, the theme of ocean floors cannot be separated from the issue of technological and military competition. In an era where security is also connected to critical supply chains, the availability of these materials is part of a wider strategy of reducing vulnerabilities. The deep-sea mining, therefore, lies at the intersection of economic security, industrial policy, and strategic competition.

Obviously, the USA is not the only one closely observing this development; Europe and other industrialized actors are also addressing the issue within the broader framework of supply chain resilience and the need to limit excessive dependencies in high-tech sectors. The lesson of recent years has been very clear: relying on highly concentrated markets can expose vulnerabilities that are not confined to the economy, but directly affect the ability to plan strategically. From this perspective, the ocean floor is not yet a viable solution, but it is being considered as a potential option to reduce future risks.

Therefore, it would be excessive to argue that deep-sea mining is set to quickly break China’s centrality in critical mineral supply chains. More cautiously, it can be stated, instead, that the ocean floor represents a potential frontier for diversification in an international system characterized by growing demand for strategic minerals, still highly concentrated supply chains, and increasing rivalry among major powers. It is precisely this intersection of resources, technology, and security that explains why deep-sea mining has become a political and strategic issue even before it has become a fully established industrial reality.

In conclusion, the growing significance of deep-sea mining is not solely due to its economic potential, but to the fact that it highlights a broader transformation in international security. Geopolitical competition is no longer confined to the traditional military domain but also extends to the control of critical technologies, supply chains, and the resources that make them possible. In this sense, the ocean floor does not yet represent a complete answer to the concentration of global value chains, but it has already entered the sphere of strategic competition between China, the United States, and other industrial actors. And it is precisely for this reason that the issue is set to remain central in international debates in the coming years.

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