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The Metals Company and Allseas Announce Successful North Sea Drive Test of Pilot Nodule Collector Vehicle
Following earlier harbor wet-testing, the Allseas-designed pilot nodule collector vehicle was deployed from the Hidden Gem and lowered to the seafloor in open
About this update from Tmc The Metals Company Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Following earlier harbor wet-testing, the Allseas-designed pilot nodule collector vehicle was deployed from the Hidden Gem and lowered to the seafloor in open sea conditionsA range of critical drive functions were successfully tested, confirming the collector’s capability to manoeuvre forwards and backwards at various speeds and in different directions, as well as to lower and raise the nodule collector headsAllseas engineers successfully tested dynamic positioning systems aboard the Hidden Gem confirming the vessel’s ability to adjust speed and heading as the collector drives across the seafloor.Upcoming trials in TMC’s NORI-D contract area are expected to include deployment of a four-kilometer-long riser, an umbilical that provides power and control during seafloor operations, and a 500-meter-long flexible jumper hose to connect to the collector vehicle NEW YORK, March 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TMC the metals company Inc. (Nasdaq: TMC) (“TMC” or the “Company”), an explorer of the world’s largest estimated undeveloped source of critical battery metals, today announced the successful completion of its North Sea drive test program for the robotic polymetallic nodule collector vehicle designed by the Company’s strategic partner and shareholder, Allseas Group S.A. (“Allseas”). During the drive test program performed in the Dutch Sector of the North Sea, the Allseas-designed collector vehicle underwent extensive testing of critical mobility and all systems were shown to be functional. Covering a distance of 4,533 meters, Allseas engineers put the collector vehicle through its paces, driving it forwards and backwards at various speeds, and in different directions. In addition, tests were undertaken to raise and lower the vehicle’s adjustable collector heads – another critical function. “This North Sea drive test is a key milestone that not only shows that our collector can be remotely operated in open seas but that it can do so in parallel motion with the Hidden Gem’s dynamic positioning system,” said Gerard Barron, CEO & Chairman of The Metals Company. “The tests show that the collector can be controlled with a very high level of accuracy that will enable us to build and execute detailed mine plans that respect the bathymetry, sediment characteristics and ecology of the deep seafloor. These trials are proving what we always knew ...