BERGEN, Norway — It’s been nearly five months since the Norwegian government paused its controversial plans to launch deep-sea mining in Arctic waters. This proposed industry aims to generate supplies of critical minerals, but critics say the cost to the marine environment could be devastating. Some Norwegian deep-sea mining companies have faced significant financial struggles due to the delay, with one going bankrupt and another slashing costs. Yet other firms, and the government itself, remain optimistic, insisting the industry’s future is still secure.
Anette Broch Mathisen Tvedt, the young CEO of the Bergen-based deep-sea mining startup Adepth Minerals, is in the latter camp. She told Mongabay the delay isn’t ideal, but that she’s not overly concerned.
“I’m not worried about the future of deep-sea mining,” Tvedt said during an interview at Bergen University’s natural history museum. “This is a lengthy process, but I believe our government will initiate the process.”
Tvedt, whose friendly demeanor makes her one of the more approachable figures in the Norwegian deep-sea mining industry, said Adepth will use the time leading up to the licensing round, tentatively planned for 2026, to focus on data analysis and the development of new seabed mining technologies. She said the company is also using this time to raise public awareness about its work, which she says is gaining broader support due to global events such as the Russian war in Ukraine and a growing recognition that deep-sea mining may offer a more sustainable alternative to land-based mining. “Some people paint us as reckless,” Broch said in reference to wording used in a recent Greenpeace Norway press release. “But I wouldn’t be involved in this if it were a reckless industry.”
Yet critics remain unconvinced. At this year’s Deep Sea Minerals conference — an annual event organized by Norwegian geoscience organization GeoPublishing in Bergen, and that took place April 1-3 — Greenpeace Norway staged two protests, including one that temporarily shut down the event on the second day […]
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