KINGSTON, Jamaica — Blue Minerals Jamaica Limited (BMJ), a company sponsored by the Government of Jamaica, has applied for approval from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore the deep seabed for polymetallic nodules.

Polymetallic nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese, which are the subject of increasing interest with the rise of green energy technologies required for a low-carbon future. 

The area under application covers a total of 74,916 km2 of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is divided into four blocks in reserved areas held by ISA.

Reserved areas, which are set aside for the benefit of developing countries, are a key component of the legal system established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to promote direct participation of developing countries in deep-sea mineral activities in the international seabed area.

“BMJ is the first entity sponsored by the Government of Jamaica to apply for an exploration contract with ISA,” said ISA Secretary-General Michael W Lodge. “It is the fifth application received from a Small Island Developing State (SID) and the first one from the Caribbean,” he added. 

“I welcome BMJ to join ISA and other contractors in making further great advances for humanity in the exploration of the deep ocean and its resources.”

The application was submitted on June 4, 2020 and will be considered by the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) during its July 2020 session.

ISA was established by a UN convention 30 years ago to, inter alia, facilitate the equitable sharing of deep-sea resources around the world. The ISA is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica.