1. Could you share the vision behind Moana Minerals and the role the company aims to play in the Cook Islands' emerging minerals sector?
Our objective is straightforward: to responsibly harvest polymetallic nodules in the Cook Islands for economic gain. These nodules contain critical minerals, like cobalt, nickel, and manganese, that are essential for renewable energy systems and battery technologies. We see them as a strategic solution to the growing global shortfall of these materials.
Importantly, this is not a replacement for land-based mining but a necessary complement. We believe deep-sea resources will help meet rising demand while supporting the global energy transition. At the same time, our commitment is to extract these resources sustainably, with minimal environmental impact.
Beyond that, the project offers the Cook Islands a generational opportunity. It can diversify the economy beyond tourism, create jobs, and allow future generations to remain on the islands while preserving their cultural identity.
2. How do you assess the strategic importance of seabed minerals and the Cook Islands' potential contribution to global supply?
The scale is enormous. We estimate around seven billion tons of nodules in the Cook Islands. A single mining vessel could produce about 3 million tons annually for hundreds of years.
To put it into perspective, just one vessel could supply 7–10% of the world’s cobalt demand. These nodules also contain multiple critical metals, copper, nickel, rare earths, making them uniquely valuable. In fact, one operation can deliver the equivalent output of four to six land-based mines.
Given projected shortages, especially in cobalt by 2030, deep-sea mining could not only fill the gap but scale with future demand. Without it, meeting global energy transition targets will be extremely difficult.
3. Exploration relies heavily on science and innovation. What technologies is Moana Minerals using?
We made an early decision to invest deeply in science. We acquired and converted our own research vessel, Anuanua Moana, into a fully equipped environmental and mineral exploration platform.
The vessel continuously maps the seafloor, we’ve already mapped about 20% of the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone. We also monitor marine life, from plankton to whales, and conduct extensive sampling of sediments, water, and biodiversity.
All this data feeds into complex ecosystem models that allow us to simulate impacts, like noise, light, or sediment plumes, and design mitigation strategies. It’s a comprehensive, ongoing scientific program, far more detailed than many people realize.
4. How do you ensure marine ecosystems and biodiversity are protected?
Protection starts with understanding. We map biodiversity across the entire region and share all environmental data publicly, as required by our license.
If we identify endemic species, organisms found nowhere else, we are legally required to avoid those areas entirely. Our operations also only affect the top 3–5 centimeters of the seabed, not deep excavation.
The system we use relies on water flow rather than mechanical cutting, minimizing harm to marine life. Studies show ecosystems can recover significantly over time, projecting high repopulation rates.
Additionally, real-time environmental monitoring runs alongside operations. If impacts exceed acceptable limits, activities are paused until resolved. This is a tightly regulated, science-driven process.
5. How significant could the Cook Islands become in the global energy transition?
Massive. Without contributions from seabed minerals, I believe global electrification and decarbonization goals are simply not achievable. The Cook Islands could play a pivotal role in supplying the materials needed for that transition.
6. What opportunities exist for international partnerships?
These partnerships are already happening. We collaborate with leading research institutions worldwide, from Spain to New Zealand to Sweden and the United States.
On the industrial side, we’re working with partners to develop mining systems and processing facilities. This is a global effort, it truly “takes a village” of expertise and technology providers.
7. How does Moana Minerals build public trust and ensure transparency?
We made a deliberate choice to be physically present in the Cook Islands. I lived there for two years to help establish operations and build relationships.
We engage regularly with communities, leaders, and schools, and we’ve visited every island to explain our work. Transparency and dialogue are essential, people need to see who we are and understand what we’re doing.
We also maintain close cooperation with regulators, ensuring all activities meet strict legal and environmental standards.
8. What level of international investor interest are you seeing?
Historically, funding has been challenging. But in the past couple of years, especially the last 12 months, interest has grown significantly, driven by geopolitical concerns and recognition of critical mineral shortages.
Media coverage has also helped increase awareness, and investors are beginning to see this as a serious, viable sector.
9. What is your commercial roadmap and long-term vision?
Our goal is to be the first company to bring polymetallic nodules into commercial production, ideally within this decade, not the 2030s.
We aim to establish strong strategic partnerships and build a sustainable industry that benefits both investors and the Cook Islands over the long term.
10. What message would you like to share with readers?
Do your own research. There’s a lot of misinformation about this industry. If people take the time to look at credible, balanced sources, they’ll see that this is a necessary part of solving global challenges.
11. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
There’s a misconception that deep-sea mining isn’t economically viable. While operations are complex, the value per ton is significantly higher than land-based mining because each ton contains multiple valuable metals.
That diversification also provides resilience, if one metal’s price drops, others compensate. Overall, these projects can generate strong returns while supporting global needs.
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