German resource research area in the Pacific

German resource research area in the Pacific
location	international waters
Coordinates	12 ° 0 ′ N , 122 ° 13 ′ W Coordinates: 12 ° 0 ′ N , 122 ° 13 ′ W
particularities	Manganese nodules

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German research area I

Pacific Ocean

The German Resource Research Area in the Pacific is an offshore sea area in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone in the Central Pacific , which the Federal Republic of Germany has leased since 2006. The aim is to extract mineral resources such as manganese and precious metals there later in deep-sea mining.

The area lies in the area of the Pacific manganese nodule belt. Geologists from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and scientists from various German research institutions are exploring the future mining of manganese nodules there . The research license only allows exploration and research, not the mining of the tubers. In addition to Germany, China, India, Japan, Korea, France, Russia and an Eastern European consortium are also licensees in adjacent sea areas.

For the period after 2021, the federal government must decide whether and how it should be dismantled. The dismantling is to be handed over to a private company. These should then take over the financial preliminary work of the exploration by the BGR.

On May 6, 2015, the Secretary General of the International Seabed Authority, Nii Allotey Odunton, and the President of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hans-Joachim Kümpel , signed a license agreement for the exploration of massive sulphide deposits in the Berlin Federal Ministry of Economics . This is in addition to the existing license for the exploration of manganese nodules.

development

With the creation of an office of coordinator for the maritime industry at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), deep-sea mining began to play a more important role in German politics. All federal governments since then see it as a future market of central strategic importance. Linked to this is a strengthening of German manufacturers of marine technology as well as greater and long-term security of supply for the industry with high-tech raw materials. The promotion of these resources is intended to support the German maritime industry in achieving a top position in international competition in the future.

In 2002, important groundwork for promoting deep-sea mining had already been set in Berlin: The Bundestag decided to open up the global markets for marine technology. This policy was updated in 2011 in a National Master Plan for Maritime Technologies . The aim is to establish German industry as a leading producer of maritime high technology in international competition. The plan provides for the establishment of a “lighthouse project” and the conclusion of bilateral cooperation in the field of mineral raw materials. The aim was to set up a working group for marine mineral raw materials (AMR) with representatives from business, research and authorities. Against this background, the DeepSea Mining Alliance was founded in April 2014 ; which should make joint, effective and consortial appearance in national and international projects possible, as well as a coordinated representation of interests vis-à-vis politics, business and society.

The driving force of the interested companies and participating research institutions is the Society for Maritime Technology (GTM), which promotes the interests of its members politically.

The background to the exploration activities is not only the potential economic utilization of the deposits. Basic research also aims to close knowledge gaps, for example in deep-sea ecology. This is important for the federal government, as this knowledge is a prerequisite for working on international regulations for the extraction of raw materials in deep sea regions or in frontier areas.

Location and resources of the German research area

The sea area is located southwest of Hawaii . In 2006 Germany paid the UN 250,000 euros for a 15-year lease. The German area of interest is around 75,000 square kilometers. The so-called manganese belt stretches from the coast of Mexico to Hawaii.

The German license area covers a total of 75,000 km², spread over two areas with 17,000 km² in the central area and 58,000 km² in the east of the so-called manganese nodule belt. This stretches from Hawaii in the west to the coast of Mexico in the east. The water depths in the area are between 4000 and 6000 m. The sea floor is densely covered with polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules. The tubers are usually between 3 and 8 cm in size. In addition to an average of 25 percent manganese, they also contain around 3 percent copper , nickel and cobalt. These last three “valuable metals” in particular are of interest as a raw material source for future use. Other trace metals that occur in interesting concentrations in the tubers are molybdenum, lithium and neodymium , but also antimony, bismuth, germanium , indium , selenium, tellurium and others

A large number of these elements are required for the manufacture of high-tech products (computers, cell phones, televisions, photovoltaic systems or generators for wind turbines).

ecology

Black smoker off the west coast of the USA
Photo: NOAA 2006

For a long time it was assumed that the deep sea was a homogeneous habitat with only a few species. After extensive research at great depths from the 2000s, a high diversity of microfauna was found in some places . In the Clipperton fracture zone, scientists found a very high local biodiversity (i.e. per sample), as well as pronounced regional east-west and north-south differences in species composition . The previous knowledge was gained almost exclusively through scientific expeditions; the licensed companies usually do not disclose their studies.

The seamounts of the region differ individually in terms of depth or height above ground, inclination , soil conditions or the surrounding flow conditions. This is reflected in more or less unique species communities around the seamounts. In particular, the communities around the seamounts and hydrothermal springs are highlighted as global protection priorities: they are considered "vulnerable" because they are ecosystems that cannot be regenerated. Seamounts, or the gardens of sponges and corals that occur on them, are tiny habitats and inhabited by crustaceans, mussels, starfish and a multitude of other organisms that live on the ground.

Black smokers of the hydrothermal fields are the most densely populated habitats in the deep sea. They are home to an extraordinary community, because here the life energy is not obtained from light by photosynthesis , but rather bacteria convert the hydrogen sulphides dissolved in the water into primary energy through chemosynthesis . The bacteria themselves serve as food for mussels, tube worms, and various types of crustaceans and even fish.

The mining of deep-sea resources fundamentally disrupts the marine ecosystem. In the assessment of the IFM Cluster Oceans of the Future , the authors write that "the mining of manganese nodules represents a significant interference with the marine habitat". As with offshore wind turbines, considerable noise and vibrations are produced. Pumping out and cleaning the tubers are technically noisy processes that disturb marine mammals (dolphins and whales). In the plowed area, all animals that cannot escape quickly enough, such as worms, snails and sea cucumbers, die. The Federal Environment Agency fears that deep-sea mining will have significant effects on ocean habitats.

Legal position

Initially, the offshore industry had considered the areas with deep-sea resources to be unlawful after their discovery in international waters. Thereupon critics demanded a binding regulation for the mining in order to minimize environmental damage in the deep sea and to balance the competitive advantage of the industrial nations. Developing countries are mostly excluded from expensive and technically advanced deep-sea mining.

Deep-sea mining outside the 200-nautical-mile zone of deep-sea mining is regulated by the International Seabed Authority in Jamaica. It administers the mineral resources of the deep sea as "common heritage of humanity". The authority examines and assesses all projects, which are then either approved or rejected. The Federal Republic of Germany would have to apply for a dismantling permit from her.

The license granted to Germany by the IMB entitles the contractual partner to carry out exploration in the allocated area for 15 years.

BGR project

RV Kilo Moana of the NOAA / United States Navy

For the first exploration of the licensed area, the BGR used the US research vessel Kilo Moana . In the years 2008 and 2009, two exploration trips took place with the aim of the detailed topographical survey of the seabed in the entire license area in order to create a digital terrain model.

In parallel to the exploration of the most profitable deposits, the BGR is developing techniques to reduce production costs and minimize damage to the seabed. The project is carried out in close cooperation with the Leibniz Institute for Marine Research in Kiel (IFM-Geomar) and Senckenberg am Meer in Wilhelmshaven . Every year there is an expedition to the area, some with the RV Sonne , to sample the deep sea floors. In the area there are up to ten meters thick crusts and chimneys, so-called black smokers . They are rich in copper, zinc, gold and silver. Since the metals are mostly in combination with sulfur , they are also referred to as sulphide deposits or simply mass sulphides .

In a “pilot mining test”, the BGR tries to prove to the IMB that the raw materials can be mined in an environmentally friendly manner in the future. The test area is now being observed over several years in order to document the effects of degradation on the fauna and biodiversity in the sea.

In 2016, 5 million tons of manganese nodules were discovered in a 200 km² exploration area .

Expeditions

Since 2010, expeditions to the area have taken place almost every year under the direction of BGR.

2015: Flum 2015 Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone: German License Area. RV Sonne, Chief Scientist: T. Kuhn (BGR)
2014: Mangan 2014 Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone: German License Area. RV Kilo Moana, Chief Scientist: C. Rühlemann (BGR)
2013: Mangan 2013 Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone: German License Area. RV Kilo Moana, Chief Scientist: C. Rühlemann (BGR)
2012: BioNod 2012 Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone: German and French License Areas. RV L'Atalante, Chief Scientists: C. Rühlemann (BGR), L. Menot ( IFREMER )
2010 Mangan 2010 Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone: German License Area. RV Sonne, Chief Scientist: C. Rühlemann (BGR)
2009 Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone: German License Area. RV Kilo Moana
2008 Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone: German License Area. RV Kilo Moana

Participating institutions

IFM-Geomar , Kiel
AWI , Bremerhaven
Senckenberg am Meer (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven
Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen ( MARUM )
Institute for Environmental Physics at the University of Bremen
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology , Bremen
Jacobs University Bremen

controversy

There is criticism of the German commitment to manganese mining in the South Pacific at different levels. Many conservationists see the mining as a serious encroachment on deep-sea ecosystems, the consequences of which cannot really be estimated.

The Federal Government's approach to acquiring the mining rights in the sea area is also criticized. All research, exploration and test dismantling is carried out by public authorities. In addition to the BGR, high-ranking scientific research institutions (IFM-Geomar, Senckenberg etc.) are involved. However, they are researching with public funds for a later private use of these areas. The economic interests of research would not be made transparent and would be disguised by marine science research contracts.

The WWF criticized the fact that ecological data on the areas were hardly available so far. Although the states and companies licensed by the ISA are obliged to disclose their findings from the exploration of the deep sea, they have not yet fulfilled their obligations.

Publications

Discussion of the groundbreaking negative decision of the New Zealand Environmental Protection Agency against the mining of phosphates in the deep sea of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles (2014)
Carolyn Gramling (2014): Seafloor Mining Plan Advances, Worrying Critics. Science , May 2: Vol. 344 No. 6183 p. 463
Michael Gross (2014): The deep sea under siege. Current Biology, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. R137-R139
Kathrin J. Mengerink et al. (2014): A Call for Deep-Ocean Stewardship. Science, May 16, 696-698.