Gunasekara calls on the Committee to accelerate deep-sea mineral exploration and processing so that the United States can lead in this critical new global industry.
WASHINGTON D.C. Today, Impossible Metals CEO and Co-Founder Oliver Gunasekara is testifying before the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, at the hearing, “Exploring the Potential of Deep-Sea Mining to Expand American Mineral Production.”
In his testimony, Gunasekara will emphasize the urgent need for the United States to secure critical minerals to maintain economic prosperity, national security, and global leadership. He will explain that recycling, substitution, and demand reduction are not sufficient to meet future demands. Gunasekara advocates for responsible deep-sea mining as a faster, cheaper, and less environmentally disruptive alternative to land-based mining. Impossible Metals has developed AI-driven underwater robots to selectively harvest mineral-rich nodules, picking up nodules individually while avoiding all visible life and leaving 60% of the nodules untouched to preserve marine biodiversity.
“We can deliver critical minerals at commercial scale in three years—10x faster, 10x cheaper, and 10x lower impact, without relying on China,” said Oliver Gunasekara, CEO & Co-Founder of Impossible Metals.
Deep-sea mining is the inevitable future of global mineral production, and the United States must lead in protecting its economic and national security interests, ensuring environmental responsibility, and defending human rights. Gunasekara urges Congress to unlock domestic deep-sea resources, support leasing in U.S. waters, and invest in mineral processing and innovation, stressing that seizing this opportunity could create over 100,000 jobs and generate $300 billion in economic output over the next decade.
Watch Oliver Gunasekara’s full testimony on YouTube.
About Impossible Metals. Impossible Metals‘ (YC W22, Public Benefit Corporation) vision is accelerating clean energy by delivering responsible critical metals. We are developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to harvest critical metals from the seabed while protecting the environment. Headquartered in California and with a robotics lab in Canada, Impossible Metals is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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