Photo credit: Greenpeace. Retrieved from energyvoice.com
Norway is inviting comments on Arctic seabed areas it plans to offer for deep sea mining ahead of formally awarding permits for the first time.
The Nordic country is one of the first to take a step that has been highly criticized by environmental and fishing groups due to the possible damage to marine life. The European Parliament has also voiced concern, while the bloc’s green deal chief, Maros Sefcovic, said in March that the European Union would monitor the process. Norway is not a member of the bloc.
The government on Wednesday proposed to put forward 386 blocks in the Arctic as part of the first licensing round. The area makes up about 38% of the 280,000 square kilometers (108,000 square miles) opened for exploration of minerals on the continental shelf off the Norwegian coast earlier this year, with backing of the country’s parliament.
The government plans to award licenses in the first half of next year, Energy Minister Terje Aasland said on Wednesday.