INNOVATION
Deep-sea mining platforms push limits of seabed resource extraction
Specialized vessels and rigs across the floating economy test polymetallic nodules and sulfides on ocean floors.
The Allseas-designed nodule collector vehicle. Photo by The Metals Company.
Interest in extracting minerals from the ocean floor has moved from theory to trials. Platforms are being developed or tested to harvest nodules, conduct excavation, and lift materials from great depths. These floating or vessel-based setups are some of the most technically challenging of The Floating Economy.
Pilot nodule collector in Atlantic — The Metals Company & Allseas: A pilot polymetallic nodule collector vehicle was deployed from the vessel Hidden Gem at depths around 2,470 meters in the Atlantic. It successfully operated down on the seafloor over 1 kilometer, proving mobility and pump functionality under pressure.
Allseas Polymetallic Nodule Collection System: Allseas describes its full seabed-to-surface haul system: collector vehicle on seafloor, a ~4.5 km vertical riser to move nodules upward, storage aboard the vessel, for later offloading.
Japan’s Hydrothermal Deposit Tests — JOGMEC / METI: Japan has confirmed mineral resource potential in seafloor hydrothermal (sulfide) deposits in the Okinawa and Izu-Ogasawara marine zones (~500-3,000 m depth), conducting drilling, resource assessments, and test excavation trials.
Environmental Impacts & Monitoring: Following tests of SMS excavation in the Okinawa Trough, studies observed changes in benthic community structure, particularly among macrofauna and meiofauna, over time. These help in assessing what environmental oversight and mitigation will be required.
Deep-sea mining platforms are still in testing. They’re not full commercial operations yet. But with these trials, The Floating Economy is exploring mineral supply for batteries and clean tech — while testing seawater pressures, environmental cost, and legal frameworks.
—TFI
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