U.S. Dives Into Seabed Mining to Fuel EV Future

Impossible Metals sparks push as Washington weighs first lease in 30 years amid EV mineral demand

18 Jun 2025

The United States has taken its boldest step in decades toward extracting minerals from the ocean floor. In April Impossible Metals, a start-up, applied for a seabed mining lease near American Samoa. Two months later the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) opened a public consultation, running until mid-August.

The seabed holds large deposits of nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, essential ingredients for electric-vehicle batteries and renewable-energy hardware. Impossible Metals promises to collect these nodules with robots designed to reduce ecological damage. "This is about securing the resources we need for a sustainable future," said Oliver Gunasekara, its chief executive.

The process stems from an executive order signed in April by former President Donald Trump to speed up deep-sea mining permits. The measure reflects bipartisan concern over America's reliance on imports and China's dominance in mineral supply chains. BOEM's review could lure investors and suggests that mining the seabed is moving from theory to policy.

But America's stance sits uneasily with global rules. It has never ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and is absent from the International Seabed Authority, which regulates extraction in international waters. Critics say this allows Washington to sidestep multilateral oversight, at a time when protection of fragile marine ecosystems is barely understood.

Green groups remain wary. The abyss is among Earth's least studied habitats, and the long-term effects of disturbing it are unknown. Yet political and industrial momentum is hard to ignore. With demand for electric vehicles and renewables soaring, Washington's move marks its first tangible step in over 30 years to explore seabed resources.

The next few months will be pivotal. If approved, the project would not just open a new mineral frontier for America. It could also set a precedent for how states balance energy security with global stewardship of the deep.