Gerard Barron, CEO of The Metals Company (TMC), a North American firm aiming to lead deep-sea mining by the end of the decade, believes that polymetallic nodules extracted from the seabed will play a crucial role in the future metals supply chain. This projection is supported by strong policy backing in the United States and the perceived environmental benefits of focusing extraction activities in parts of the ocean with the least biological diversity.
For freight forwarders and logistics professionals, the emergence of deep-sea mining as a viable source for metals could introduce new specialized cargo streams. This might involve the transport of raw polymetallic nodules from remote ocean sites to processing facilities, potentially requiring specialized vessels and port infrastructure. Subsequently, the refined metals would enter existing or new supply chains, impacting global trade routes and potentially influencing demand for specific shipping capacities. Forwarders should monitor developments in this nascent industry for potential opportunities in project logistics and bulk cargo handling.