v
Preface
Major industrial developments are based on the availability of energy and minerals: iron in the 19th century, aluminium and copper in the 20th century, silicon and
high-tech metals for the past twenty years. Today, growing tensions are emerging
between mineral availability and global requirements, especially in major industrial
countries, which continue to rise in number and force. China’s growth alone accounts for half of the rise in demand for base metals since 2000. Given the risks for
Europe of supply shortages of strategic metals used in many high-tech industries, or
even of certain common metals such as copper, it has become necessary to actively
explore the potential of deep-sea mineral resources (DSMR), as a possible source in
addition to known deposits on land.
It is with this as a backdrop that I decided to launch a study, in September 2009,
on this subject with a 2030 vision, focusing on the needs of France and Europe.
France boasts a vast ocean territory, technological resources and long recognised
skills in deep-sea exploration; it is therefore important that France continues to be a
major player in this exploration, especially at a time when the conditions governing
industrial development of this sector are being defined.
Over twenty French partners, representing the sector’s main players, were involved in this year-long study. I would like to thank them most sincerely for their
investment in this collective effort. The issues addressed were both numerous and
complex, as they concerned changes in the legal framework, supply and markets,
the types of deep-sea geological sites liable to be exploited, the possible technologies and their impacts, all in an environment that remains poorly known and difficult to access.
Ifremer fully played its role in organising this collective study by calling upon
public and private skills and expertise in a wide variety of fields, ranging from international law in the high seas to research and training. Like all good foresight studies, this work has given rise to proposals of concrete actions for all those concerned,
in order that this collective effort may successfully serve our country.
Jean-Yves Perrot
Chief Executive Officer of Ifremer
Preface
Major industrial developments are based on the availability of energy and minerals: iron in the 19th century, aluminium and copper in the 20th century, silicon and
high-tech metals for the past twenty years. Today, growing tensions are emerging
between mineral availability and global requirements, especially in major industrial
countries, which continue to rise in number and force. China’s growth alone accounts for half of the rise in demand for base metals since 2000. Given the risks for
Europe of supply shortages of strategic metals used in many high-tech industries, or
even of certain common metals such as copper, it has become necessary to actively
explore the potential of deep-sea mineral resources (DSMR), as a possible source in
addition to known deposits on land.
It is with this as a backdrop that I decided to launch a study, in September 2009,
on this subject with a 2030 vision, focusing on the needs of France and Europe.
France boasts a vast ocean territory, technological resources and long recognised
skills in deep-sea exploration; it is therefore important that France continues to be a
major player in this exploration, especially at a time when the conditions governing
industrial development of this sector are being defined.
Over twenty French partners, representing the sector’s main players, were involved in this year-long study. I would like to thank them most sincerely for their
investment in this collective effort. The issues addressed were both numerous and
complex, as they concerned changes in the legal framework, supply and markets,
the types of deep-sea geological sites liable to be exploited, the possible technologies and their impacts, all in an environment that remains poorly known and difficult to access.
Ifremer fully played its role in organising this collective study by calling upon
public and private skills and expertise in a wide variety of fields, ranging from international law in the high seas to research and training. Like all good foresight studies, this work has given rise to proposals of concrete actions for all those concerned,
in order that this collective effort may successfully serve our country.
Jean-Yves Perrot
Chief Executive Officer of Ifremer