Signal Clarion-Clipperton nodules hold more critical metals than terrestrial reserves

Summary

The Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific is estimated to contain 21.1 billion tons of polymetallic nodules. EY explains that these nodules hold more critical metals than all known reserves on land, with a value measured in trillions of dollars. Interest in them follows from expected supply gaps for minerals such as lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt by 2040. Several companies are testing harvesting systems that combine AI, computer vision, robotics and autonomous vehicles to lift material from great depth. However, none has yet proven long-term commercial production, and the environmental effects of large-scale seabed harvesting remain heavily contested.