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1 Study Summary
Development of Exploration and Exploitation Technologies
and French Industry
The public/private partnership should address both exploration and exploitation
technologies in order to promote synergies and prevent a delay in exploitation. One
of the barriers is the development of extraction pilots to validate the integration
of known, yet complex, technological solutions. Financial arrangements and business models remain to be defined. In terms of mineral processing and metallurgy,
the processing of ocean minerals will need to be adapted, requiring technological
research capacities for certain crucial aspects: corrosion (SH), reliability, impacts,
vent exploitation (natural H 2 ) and exploration technologies.
EEZ Heritage Management
The need for a general inventory of potential resources and their locations constitutes a prerequisite for planning access priorities and possible development.
This initiative requires the conditions governing the exploration and exploitation
of deep-sea mineral resources in EEZs to be clarified (national mining law to be
completed, extralateral right, financial transparency, definition of exploitation protocols…). In terms of living organisms, a certain number of marine protected areas
should be established in the EEZ at quite an early stage.
Within this promising context of deep-sea mineral resources, although lacking
important knowledge in several fields and on various scales, skills and means must
be gathered together to save time, improve efficiency and provide consistency. The
priority is therefore to support and unite France’s industrial, technological and scientific interests in order that it may continue to be one of the pioneering countries
in deep-sea exploration and promotion.
1 Study Summary
Development of Exploration and Exploitation Technologies
and French Industry
The public/private partnership should address both exploration and exploitation
technologies in order to promote synergies and prevent a delay in exploitation. One
of the barriers is the development of extraction pilots to validate the integration
of known, yet complex, technological solutions. Financial arrangements and business models remain to be defined. In terms of mineral processing and metallurgy,
the processing of ocean minerals will need to be adapted, requiring technological
research capacities for certain crucial aspects: corrosion (SH), reliability, impacts,
vent exploitation (natural H 2 ) and exploration technologies.
EEZ Heritage Management
The need for a general inventory of potential resources and their locations constitutes a prerequisite for planning access priorities and possible development.
This initiative requires the conditions governing the exploration and exploitation
of deep-sea mineral resources in EEZs to be clarified (national mining law to be
completed, extralateral right, financial transparency, definition of exploitation protocols…). In terms of living organisms, a certain number of marine protected areas
should be established in the EEZ at quite an early stage.
Within this promising context of deep-sea mineral resources, although lacking
important knowledge in several fields and on various scales, skills and means must
be gathered together to save time, improve efficiency and provide consistency. The
priority is therefore to support and unite France’s industrial, technological and scientific interests in order that it may continue to be one of the pioneering countries
in deep-sea exploration and promotion.