India strives for cobalt in contested ocean waters – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Image Source : asianews India is attempting to secure rights to explore a cobalt-rich underwater mountain in the middle of the Indian Ocean due to fears over China’s presence in the region. Sri Lanka is also planning to mine the region for precious minerals, adding to the competition. Cobalt is a critical mineral widely used in electric vehicles and batteries and seen as a vital element in the green energy transition. In January, India had contacted the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority (ISA) seeking approval to explore the cobalt-rich Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount), situated in the central Indian Ocean, east of the Maldives, approximately 1,350 kilometers (850 miles) from the Indian coast. ISA is an autonomous world body set up under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Analysts are of the view that New Delhi ...
Jul 6, 2024
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Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe
Tagged China, China India cobalt competition, Cobalt in electric vehicle batteries, Cobalt-rich underwater mountain, Critical minerals for electric vehicles, Deep Ocean Mission India, Green energy transition minerals, INDIA, India cobalt mining, Indian Ocean mineral exploration, International Seabed Authority cobalt, Renewable energy minerals India, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka cobalt mining
