Groundbreaking Nickel Sulfate Production from Seafloor Nodules

Why it matters?

The Metals Company (TMC) has announced a groundbreaking achievement that it successfully produced the world’s first cobalt sulfate derived exclusively from seafloor polymetallic nodules. This pioneering accomplishment marks a significant milestone in a sustainable and responsible supply of critical battery metals essential for the global energy transition.

This breakthrough underscores the potential of seafloor polymetallic nodules as a transformative resource in the quest for sustainable metal extraction. In collaboration with SGS CANADA INC., TMC’s Extractive Metallurgy team has demonstrated the ability to process high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt matte directly into high-purity cobalt sulfate, all while minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.

Key highlights

• Innovative Processing: an advanced hydrometallurgical flowsheet design, tested at SGS’ Metallurgical Centre of Excellence, allows for the production of cobalt sulfate without creating cobalt metal, and generates fertilizer byproducts instead of solid waste.
  
• Environmental Responsibility: TMS sets a new standard for responsible mining practices that prioritize environmental sustainability by achieving near-zero solid waste processing.
  
• Strategic Significance: This milestone follows TMS’s recent success in producing the world’s first nickel sulfate from deep-seafloor nodules, reinforcing the viability of our approach and its critical role in the supply chain for energy-dense electric vehicle batteries.

Impact and future prospects

Moreover TMS with its NORI and TOML projects ranked as the world’s largest undeveloped nickel projects, is poised to meet the demand for metals needed for 280 million electric vehicles—equivalent to the entire U.S. light vehicle fleet. As global analysts warn of shortages in critical battery metals, this innovative solutions are attracting increased interest to support energy and national security.

In recent developments, Congress allocated $2 million to explore domestic nodule refining capacity, and we have initiated a feasibility study with Pacific Metals Corporation to process 1.3 million tonnes of polymetallic nodules annually.