DeepSea Minerals Alliance re-established – a strong voice for deep-sea mining

The DeepSea Minerals Alliance (DSMA for short) has been re-established following the dissolution of the previous DeepSea Mining Alliance and was registered in the register of associations today. With a clear focus on its objectives, the new DSMA will, as an industry association, play a stronger role in promoting the important industrial use of the seabed. The re-establishment was made possible through close cooperation with and active support from the Association for Shipbuilding and Marine Technology (VSM).

Leonhard Weixler, the new chairman of the DSMA industry association: “Rarely before has it been more important for Germany and Europe to become less dependent on Russian or Chinese raw materials. China’s raw materials export policy, in particular, poses a threat to prosperity in Europe. Whilst China wields a virtual monopoly on rare earths, for example, many European countries have imposed a moratorium on the extraction of raw materials from the sea. And this despite the fact that German licence areas, for example, contain a large proportion of the metals relevant to the semiconductor industry and thus to new technologies. These will be of increasing importance, particularly in the fields of renewable energy generation, mobile phones and electric cars.

With an intelligent value chain that incorporates seabed mineral deposits, we would make a major contribution to raw material resilience. This would make us less dependent on other regions. For what we are currently seeing in China’s raw materials policy is merely a foretaste of what will happen should the Taiwan conflict escalate.

We would like to thank the VSM for this cooperation and are delighted to have found an established partner in this collaboration to support industrial interests.”

Reinhard Lüken, Chief Executive of the German Shipbuilding and Marine Technology Association (VSM), adds: “By re-establishing the DSMA, we are making it clear that the industry is ready – all that is needed now is for politicians to recognise this. Our members in the DSMA and VSM already cover large parts of the value chain required for the extraction of mineral resources from the sea.

In Germany and Europe, we need framework conditions that enable the industry to drive forward marine exploration and extraction. Delaying international regulations such as the Mining Code at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is counterproductive. Other nations do not share these concerns and will overtake us. This serves no one’s interests. Especially since it is well known that raw material extraction on the seabed can be more environmentally sound than on land. All stakeholders require predictability and reliable decisions. To this end, we are now joining forces to represent our interests effectively at all levels.”

Following the founding meeting at the end of August, the board of directors met with its new management team in Berlin to complete the registration in the register of associations.

The new Executive Board of the DSMA:

1. Leonhard Weixler, BAUER AG, Schrobenhausen (Chairman)
2. Dr Rudolf Bannasch, EvoLogics GmbH, Berlin (Deputy Chairman)
3. Heiko Felderhoff, HF Offshore GmbH, Bremen (Deputy Chairman)
4. Frank Wagner, Atlantis Blu Mining GmbH, Berlin (Board Member, Treasurer)

Peter Lehmann will take over the management of the new association; he also represents the VSM at its Berlin office, where his responsibilities include leading the offshore and marine technology portfolio.

With the DeepSea Minerals Alliance, there will once again be a central point of contact for the German, European and international business and scientific communities regarding matters relating to potential deep-sea mining. In its new organisational form, the DSMA brings together industrial interests relating to marine mineral resources – that is, the future extraction of deposits on the seabed in the form of, amongst others, manganese nodules, massive sulphides or cobalt crusts. Particular focus will be placed on the areas of reconnaissance, exploration, environmental monitoring, sampling, extraction, logistics and smelting.

In the near future, it will be crucial that German exploration licences can be converted into production licences and that the ISA adopts the long-awaited ‘Mining Code’, which is intended to regulate the extraction of minerals.

At the same time, the DSMA advocates close cooperation within the EU and with third countries that are currently preparing for deep-sea mining in international and national waters, adopting an open-technology approach. In any case, activities on the seabed must be environmentally sustainable, transparent and in line with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

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