The Metals Company (Nasdaq: TMC) and its partner PAMCO have successfully produced approximately 500 tonnes of high-temperature material (calcine) during the first phase of a commercial-scale campaign to process a 2,000-tonne sample of polymetallic nodules at PAMCO’s Rotary Kiln Electric-Arc Furnace facility in Hachinohe, Japan.
During the process, the nodules were heated to remove moisture and initiate the transition of minerals to their metallic forms.
According to TMC, in the coming months, the calcine will be transferred to PAMCO’s demonstration smelting facility to begin smelting into a high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt alloy and manganese silicate.
“It’s very exciting to see the world’s first commercial-scale processing of our nodules. With decades of experience in processing nickel laterite at an industrial scale in its Hachinohe facility, PAMCO is the perfect partner to help optimize our near-zero-solid-waste flowsheet in preparation for commercial production,” said TMC’s Head of Onshore Development, Dr. Jeffrey Donald.
PAMCO’s Rotary Kiln Electric-Arc Furnace facility in Hachinohe, Japan.
In November 2023, TMC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PAMCO to complete a feasibility study for processing 1.3 million tonnes of wet polymetallic nodules (PMN) per year into high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt alloy and manganese silicate, which are feedstocks for the production of lithium-ion batteries, electrical infrastructure, and steel.
Last June, The Metals Company announced that it had successfully produced the world’s first cobalt sulphate derived exclusively from seafloor polymetallic nodules.
The cobalt sulphate was generated during bench-scale testing of TMC’s hydrometallurgical flowsheet design with SGS Canada at its facility in Lakefield, Ontario.
TMC is trying to move forward with its plan to mine the ocean floor amid growing opposition from environmental and civil society groups.
In July, Deep Sea Mining Campaign (DSMC), The Ocean Foundation (TOF) and Blue Climate Initiative (BCI) filed a formal complaint with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against TMC.
They accuse the company of significantly misleading investors, government officials and the public through material misrepresentations and omissions.
The Metals Company has said the nodule resource at the Nori Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) polymetallic project, located 4,000 meters deep in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, is estimated at four megatons (Mt) measured, 341 Mt indicated, and 11 Mt inferred mineral resources.
It is estimated that 21 billion tonnes of polymetallic nodules are resting on the ocean floor in the CCZ.
Shares of TMC fell 2.18% by 12:10 p.m. EDT. The lithium developer has a market capitalization of $301 million.
Source: MINING.COM – Read More
