The Metals Company (TMC) has signed a contract with Allseas, a subsea construction company, for the development and operation of a nodule collection system, hoping to mine in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean.
The announcement comes as the International Seabed Authority continues to debate mining regulations, leaving companies like TMC to advance development ahead of the official final decision.
Amid growing demand for nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese — material needed for battery manufacturing — governments are looking to secure long-term suppliers. TMC is hoping to position themselves as the first mover in commercial deep-sea mining.
Gerard Barron, chair and CEO of TMC, called the agreement the “cornerstone” of their relationship with Allseas. "It establishes a clear commercial framework for how we complete the development and commissioning of our first commercial scale nodule recovery system and start offshore nodule recovery operations," stated Barron.
Upon completion, the system is designed to collect three million wet tonnes of nodules per year, using vehicles operating at depths of more than four kilometres. TMC expects system commissioning to begin in late-2027.
Comments