Metals Company, PAMCO achieve breakthrough in polymetallic nodule processing

TMC the metals company had produced high temperature material during the first phase of a commercial-scale campaign to process a 2,000 tonne sample of deep-seafloor polymetallic nodules at its partner PAMCO’s Hachinohe Rotary Kiln Electric-Arc Furnace facility in Hachinohe, Japan. Undertaken on PAMCO’s 131-meter-long #6 commercial kiln, engineers fed approximately 1200 tonnes of nodules into the kiln via conveyor at up to 60 tonnes per hour, and produced roughly 500 tonnes of calcine which will cool slowly before being transferred to PAMCO’s demonstration smelting facility (see video). With sufficient quantities of calcine material now produced to proceed to the next phase of the trial, PAMCO intends to commence commercial-scale smelting of the calcine into a high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt alloy and manganese silicate in the coming months. TMC‘s Head of Onshore Development, Dr Jeffrey Donald, commented: “After years of carefully-planned development, bench-scale tests, engineering studies and pilot demonstrations 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 industrial scale in its Hachinohe facility, and with dozens of highly capable and disciplined technical and operating personnel on our project, PAMCO is the perfect partner to help optimize our near-zero-solid-waste flowsheet in preparation for commercial production. We appreciate PAMCO’s professional efforts and technical contributions to the development of this process.”