Faroe Islands holds deep-sea mining rights but faces environmental concerns

The Faroe Islands has secured exploration rights to 27,000 square kilometres of North Atlantic seabed—an area potentially rich in copper, cobalt, and manganese—but environmental risks may halt any extraction plans, reports Faroese national broadcaster KVF.

A 2019 agreement between the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway divided the continental shelf in the region, granting the Faroes jurisdiction over a total of 111,500 square kilometres. Norwegian surveys between Jan Mayen and Svalbard have since confirmed significant deposits of copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese, and rare earth minerals—critical materials for batteries, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and other green technologies.

Proponents argue that deep-sea mining could secure essential resources as global demand for green energy grows, reducing reliance on suppliers like China. However, Norway—one of the first countries to pursue commercial deep-sea mining—paused all plans in December 2025 amid political pressure and mounting concerns over environmental impacts. A planned licensing round to assess and potentially exploit mineral deposits has been postponed indefinitely.

Scientists warn that deep-sea mining, which targets mineral-rich zones between 200 and 6,500 metres deep, could disrupt fragile ecosystems, threaten fisheries, and compromise food security. Disturbing the seabed may also release stored carbon, further accelerating climate change. A recent Arctic conference in Reykjavík underscored that Arctic marine environments are already under strain from climate shifts and human activity.

While Denmark has signed an international moratorium calling for stronger scientific evidence before any seabed mining proceeds, Norway and the US continue exploratory work. The Faroe Islands remains bound by Denmark’s position but retains its allocated seabed rights as the debate over deep-sea resource extraction continues.