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The Metals Company and SGS Group Commence Test Work & Pilot Demonstrations to Extract Critical Battery Metals from Seafloor Rocks
The pilot hydrometallurgical refining campaign builds upon TMC’s recent successful pyrometallurgical processing campaign, where seafloor polymetallic nodules
About this update from Tmc The Metals Company Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"The pilot hydrometallurgical refining campaign builds upon TMC’s recent successful pyrometallurgical processing campaign, where seafloor polymetallic nodules were used to produce an intermediate product (matte) rich in copper, nickel and cobaltTMC’s pilot refining campaign is expected to refine the matte into copper cathode and battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulfate crystals, completing the pilot-scale validation of its near-zero solid waste metallurgical flowsheetThe bench and pilot-scale work with SGS Group (“SGS”) brings TMC one step closer to realizing its ambition of a full-scale metallurgical plant to re-shore production of critical battery metals in the U.S. NEW YORK, Oct. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Metals Company (Nasdaq: TMC) (the “Company” or “TMC”), a developer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic nodules, has commenced work with SGS, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification, to provide bench and pilot-scale testing in the Company’s program to refine battery metals from a matte that was recently successfully generated from nodules. The collaboration will help to determine, analyze and chart TMC’s path towards a full-scale metallurgical plant to produce battery metals like nickel and cobalt, deemed ‘most critical’ to U.S. interests by the Biden Administration. This important work program with SGS comes on the heels of TMC’s public listing to the Nasdaq in September. SGS is providing TMC with the necessary equipment, resources and expertise to extract the battery-grade nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate, and copper cathode, metals required to build EV batteries and wiring. The nodules used in TMC’s pilot processing work were collected in Q1 2020 from the Company’s NORI-D contract area in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean about 1,300 nautical miles from San Diego. When in full production, the NORI-D project, which represents just 22% of the Company’s estimated defined resource, is expected to process and refine 9.5 Mtpa of dry nodules (run rate) into critical battery metals and other products, including: 119 ktpa of nickel contained in nickel sulfate9 ktpa of cobalt contained in cobalt sulfate89 ktpa of copper cathode2.9 Mtpa of manganese contained in 40% manganese silicate254 ktpa of ammonium sulfate (fertilizer). “Solving the climate problem requires solving the bat...