Dutch Court Orders Greenpeace Protesters Off NORI Research Vessel, Greenpeace Complies
November 30 2023 - 12:42PM
TMC The Metals Company Inc. (“TMC” or “The Metals Company”), an
explorer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic
nodules, today announced that the District Court of Amsterdam in
the Netherlands has issued a court order requiring Greenpeace
International (“Greenpeace”) to disembark from the research vessel,
MV Coco, with immediate effect. The vessel is currently undertaking
environmental and scientific studies as part of its subsidiary
Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI)’s Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment.
Since disruptions began on November 23, Greenpeace’s unsafe and
unlawful activities have hindered independent scientists from
leading marine research institutions around the world in conducting
environmental and scientific studies to assess ecosystem function
and recovery one year on from NORI’s integrated collector test.
Upon notification of the court order, Greenpeace have promptly
complied with the order and have disembarked the vessel.
TMC CEO & Chairman Gerard Barron commented: “We are pleased
with today’s court opinion. We respect Greenpeace’s right to
peaceful protest and expression of opinions. However, our foremost
responsibility is to ensure the safe continuance of our
legally-mandated operations, and the safety of all those involved.
Greenpeace are free to protest from a safe distance and to assert
their opinion, but theirs is not the only one that matters and we
will continue to gather the important scientific data that all ISA
members have requested for informed decision-making.”
The court-ordered penalties were issued to compel Greenpeace to
comply with the order, and TMC and NORI retain their legal rights
to pursue compensation for any financial losses incurred due to
Greenpeace’s actions.
The exploration contract granted to The Metals Company’s (TMC)
subsidiary NORI by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) legally
requires NORI to conduct environmental and scientific research,
studies which are contributing to society’s collective knowledge of
the deep ocean. All of the ISA’s 168 Member States plus the
European Union have stated that any decision must be based on
evidence and data and they have called for more scientific research
on the impacts of collecting polymetallic nodules from atop the
seafloor.
TMC remains dedicated to collaboration and dialogue with all
stakeholders, including environmental groups, as our CEO stated in
a recent open letter to the ocean conservation community. NORI will
continue its pioneering work to collect and openly share this
important data with the world to enable informed
decision-making.
About The Metals Company
The Metals Company is an explorer of lower-impact battery metals
from seafloor polymetallic nodules, on a dual mission: (1) supply
metals for the global energy transition with the least possible
negative impacts on planet and people and (2) trace, recover and
recycle the metals we supply to help create a metals commons that
can be used in perpetuity. The Company through its subsidiaries
holds exploration and commercial rights to three polymetallic
nodule contract areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific
Ocean regulated by the International Seabed Authority and sponsored
by the governments of Nauru, Kiribati and the Kingdom of Tonga.
More Info
Media | media@metals.co
Investors | investors@metals.co
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release are not historical
facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe
harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied
by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,”
“anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,”
“predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” and
similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or
trends or that are not statements of historical matters, including
related to: the Company’s expectations with respect to filing an
application for an exploitation contract with the ISA and the
timing and content thereof and the actions of Greenpeace
International and the potential impact these actions may have on
the Company. These forward-looking statements involve significant
risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to
differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking
statements. Most of these factors are outside the Company’s control
and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such
differences include, but are not limited to: the risk that
Greenpeace International does not promptly comply with the order of
the Court; the risk that Greenpeace International’s, or any other
group’s, activities continue to disrupt the Company’s operations;
the Company’s strategies and future financial performance; the
ISA’s ability to timely adopt the final mining regulations and/or
willingness to review and/or approve a plan of work for
exploitation under the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the
Sea (UNCLOS); the Company’s ability to obtain exploitation
contracts or approved plans of work for exploitation for its areas
in the CCZ; regulatory uncertainties and the impact of government
regulation and political instability on the Company’s resource
activities; changes to any of the laws, rules, regulations or
policies to which the Company is subject, including the terms of
the final mining regulations, if any, adopted by ISA and the
potential timing thereof; the impact of extensive and costly
environmental requirements on the Company’s operations;
environmental liabilities; the impact of polymetallic nodule
collection on biodiversity in the CCZ and recovery rates of
impacted ecosystems; the Company’s ability to develop minerals in
sufficient grade or quantities to justify commercial operations;
the lack of development of seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit;
the Company’s ability to successfully enter into binding agreements
with Allseas Group S.A. and other parties in which it is in
discussions, if any; uncertainty in the estimates for mineral
resource calculations from certain contract areas and for the grade
and quality of polymetallic nodule deposits; risks associated with
natural hazards; uncertainty with respect to the specialized
treatment and processing of polymetallic nodules that the Company
may recover; risks associated with collective, development and
processing operations, including with respect to the development of
onshore processing capabilities and capacity and Allseas Group
S.A.’s expected development efforts with respect to the Project
Zero offshore system; the Company’s dependence on Allseas Group
S.A.; fluctuations in transportation costs; fluctuations in metals
prices; testing and manufacturing of equipment; risks associated
with the Company’s limited operating history, limited cash
resources and need for additional financing; risks associated with
the Company’s intellectual property; Low Carbon Royalties’ limited
operating history; and other risks and uncertainties, including
those under Item 1A “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on
March 27, 2023, as updated and/or supplemented by the Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023,
filed with the SEC on August 14, 2023, the Company’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed
with the SEC on November 9, 2023, this press release and in the
Company’s other future filings with the SEC. The Company cautions
that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. The Company
cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.
The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or
undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any
forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its
expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances
on which any such statement is based except as required by law.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e834674-527b-46ab-858d-ee985d475c82
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