Deepsea mining in Namibia

Namibia is one of the first countries that issued mining licences regarding deep sea mining. studies that took place in 1970s discovered considerable amounts of phosphate deposits. The significance of seabed mining in Namibia's blue economy is highlighted by the country's status as a "phosphate factory". This is due to the exceptional upwellings of the Benguela Current ecosystem, a transboundary ocean current that spans from South Africa in the south to Angola in the north, passing through Namibia.^[1] Those deposits were found in depths between 180 and 300 meters below the sea level. In 2011 the Namibian government issued licences regarding the exploitation of the seabed phosphate resources after the necessary Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).^[2] The action plan that stood out was that of Namibian Marine Phosphates (NMP), a joint venture formed in 2008 between two Australian-based companies, Minemakers and Union Resources (each with 42.5% shareholding) and Namibian-based Tungeni Investments (15% shareholding).^[2] The so-called Sandpiper phosphate mining project outlay was introduced in January 2012 along with environmental reports regarding the effect this operation would have on marine life as well as the fishing industry and water quality changes. Those phosphorite resources are being found in continental shelves and slopes in America, Northern Spain, Morocco, Namibia, and South Africa which show a high potential for exploration.^[3]

The urge of exploring and exploiting deep sea mineral resources has come from the demand and the shortage of phosphate on the markets. Specifically, fertilizers, which are a market that is heavily dependent on phosphate resources, has seen its prices skyrocket due to this shortage.^[4] This demand tied with the quality and density of the deep-sea resources in Namibia's seabed has made the willingness of resource exploitation in the area even more prominent. Furthermore, the resources in Namibia waters are very close to the potential markets that are interested in acquiring those metals which will diminish transportation costs adding another dimension on why exploiting those resources is critical for the markets. Additionally when the excavation technology is finished the ships and the tools used for extraction will be mobile and they can travel to various areas that were deemed rich in minerals. This mobility will be a revelation in mining in comparison to the immobility of land mining.