Business
NOAA Determines TMC USA’s Consolidated Deep-Seabed Mining Application is in Full Compliance
Full compliance represents a key milestone in the regulatory approval process for TMC USA’s consolidated exploration and commercial recovery application TMC
About this update from Tmc The Metals Company Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" Full compliance represents a key milestone in the regulatory approval process for TMC USA’s consolidated exploration and commercial recovery application TMC USA’s consolidated application submitted earlier this year covers areas previously applied for in April 2025 and increases the commercial recovery area from ~25,000 to ~65,000 km2, with an estimated resource of 619 million tonnes (Mt) of wet nodules and potential exploration upside of an additional 200 Mt NOAA’s updated regulatory framework allows applicants with exploration-phase data to submit a consolidated application for both an exploration license and commercial recovery permit, supporting a more efficient permitting timeline Determination of full compliance represents another step along the path of regulatory milestones that the Company expects will result in a permit before the end of Q1 2027 NEW YORK, May 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TMC the metals company Inc. (Nasdaq: TMC) (“TMC” or the “Company”), a leading developer of the world’s largest resource of critical metals essential to energy, defense, manufacturing and infrastructure, today announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has determined that the consolidated application submitted by the Company’s subsidiary, The Metals Company USA LLC (“TMC USA”), for an exploration license and commercial recovery permit under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA) is in full compliance with the requirements of the Act and its implementing regulations. The determination of full compliance follows the determination of substantial compliance in March and represents another key step in a steady, transparent cadence of expected regulatory milestones: The consolidated application now moves into the certification stage of the review process and will be posted to the Federal Register Following certification, a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for TMC USA’s project will be published for public comment Following the public comment period, the EIS will be finalized and NOAA will make a final determination on whether to issue the license and permit TMC USA expects the process will conclude before the end of Q1 2027 Earlier this year, TMC USA submitted a consolidated application for an exploration license and a commercial recovery permit for polymetallic nodules in intern...