Sustainability - Deep sea mining dilemmas by TripleDeep
TripleDeep – The Deep Dilemmas: Deep Sea Mining for the new Deep Transition
A project in the Interdisciplinary Sustainable Initiatives at NTNU
Call for applications: 4 PhD positions
Application deadline has expired.
About the project
The deep ocean floor contains vast deposits of minerals that are necessary in renewable energy technologies. These minerals are expected to be in high demand due to the de-carbonization of the global economy and the transition to a net-zero economy.
But while the «blue minerals» may hold the key to a greener future, mining the deep seas raises many questions and dilemmas. Can these minerals be mined without causing massive and irreparable harm to the unique ecology of the deep oceans? Who will be allowed to exploit these minerals, and on what conditions? How can conflicts over control over minerals and markets be avoided? What rules and incentives are needed to attract responsible investors that can pay for the development of the necessary technology? Is it worthwhile to destroy unique and largely unknown habitats in the deep seas in order to address the climate crisis?
The primary objective of the TripleDeep project is to investigate whether Deep Sea Mining can provide a new source of critically important minerals in a sustainable manner. To do so we must address significant knowledge gaps about the political, economic, technological and ecological dimensions of deep sea mining, and particularly how they interact with each other.
The TripleDeep project group is inter-disciplinary team consisting of historians (Mats Ingulstad), marine biologists (Nicole Aberle-Malzahn), economists (Verena Hagspiel and geologist/engineers (Steinar Løve Ellefmo).
PhD Position in:
The History and politics of Deep Sea Mining
Department of Modern History and Society
This project investigates the competition for access and control of marine minerals since the 1970s. It examines how politics structure the regulation and distribution of economic gains and environmental losses, ultimately determining the social acceptability of Deep Sea Mining.
Application deadline has expired.
PhD Position in:
Deep Sea Mining Method Selection and Ecosystem Uncertainty
Department of Geoscience and Petroleum
The focus is to resolve the dilemma of whether to produce or preserve. How can a deposit with certain geological and ecological characteristics be mined to minimize the environmental impact? The aim is to develop a multidimensional framework for mining methods selection.
Application deadline has expired.
PhD Position in:
Ecological implications of Deep Sea Mining
Department of Biology
The focus is on the dilemma to balance environmental protection against societal and economic interests. The aim is to identify knowledge gaps on the impact of mining on deep-sea habitats and biodiversity taking habitat destruction, dispersal and recovery potential into account.
Application deadline has expired.
PhD Position in:
The Economics of Deep Sea Mining
Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management
This projects asks whether and how to enable necessary investments in radically new technology and infrastructure, given regulatory uncertainty and the risk of stranded assets. The aim is to identify policies that could support technological development needed for socially and ecologically acceptable DSM.
Application deadline has expired.