FAQs Archive

Q: G.6 Why do we refer to our competitors as using dredging tractors with riser pumps?

The U .S. Army Corps of Engineers defines dredging as “ A dredge is a machine that scoops or suctions sediment from the bottom of waterways... ” Although companies are using the ‘ Coanda effect ,’ it is still dredging. The leading dredging companies have built polymetallic nodule collection systems, e.g., All Seas, DEME/GSR, Royal IHC, etc. Dredging tractors for deep sea mining were first described in a 1965 patent, 3,456,371 .

Q: D.31 How can you scale to millions of tons of nodules?

Each Eureka IV robot has approximately 12 arms with a 12-metric-ton payload. The Eureka IV can be reused every 3 hours. So, in 24 hours, 8 missions can be completed, delivering 8 * 12 = 96 metric tons per 24 hours. A fleet of 200 Eureka IV robots can deliver 19,200 metric tons per 24 hours using 4 vessels, which translates to 6 million metric tons per year, assuming ~312 production days a year. (Assuming around 53 days a year when a weather hold is in operation.)

Q: D.30 Won't local sediment disturbance obscure the vision system from identifying nodules and life on the nodules?

The design of the robotic arms, the claw, the arm's movement, and the claw's position on the nodule are optimized to minimize local sediment disturbance. Even so, some local sediment disturbance can occur when the nodule is picked. The cameras identify the location of the nodule in front of the vehicle. The nodule's location is tracked relative to the robot through precise tracking of the vehicle position. Even with the nodule out of sight from the camera, because the robot's position is precisely tracked, the nodule's location is understood, enabling the arm to pick it. With the nodule under the vehicle, the arm picks it, and any disturbed sediment is well behind the camera. Additionally, the vehicle will travel primarily into any current that exists. Between the vehicle motion and the surrounding currents, any sediment distributed under the vehicle will remain behind the vehicle.

Q: F.12 What happened to the mineral processing team?

In April 2024, this team was spun out into a new company called Viridian Biometals . Impossible Metals maintains a minority holding in Viridian Biometals.

Q: F.11 What is the total available market (TAM) for Impossible Metals?

Polymetallic nodules contain four metals (nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese). The TAM for the four metals in 2023 was $393B per year. The market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 7%. External references: Copper (Cu): Spherical Insights 2024 Nickel (Ni): Fortune Business Insights 2024 Manganese (Mn): Sky Quest 2024 Cobalt (Co): Statista 2024

Q: F.10 What is Impossible Metals’ business model?

Impossible Metals intends to partner with companies that hold deep-sea mineral exploration areas, leverage third parties to process (refine) the metals, and sell the resulting offtake. In the longer term, Impossible Metals intends to apply for its own exploration areas.

G.6 Why do we refer to our competitors as using dredging tractors with riser pumps?

D.31 How can you scale to millions of tons of nodules?

D.30 Won’t local sediment disturbance obscure the vision system from identifying nodules and life on the nodules?

F.12 What happened to the mineral processing team?

F.11 What is the total available market (TAM) for Impossible Metals?

F.10 What is Impossible Metals’ business model?

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G.6 Why do we refer to our competitors as using dredging tractors with riser pumps?

D.31 How can you scale to millions of tons of nodules?

D.30 Won’t local sediment disturbance obscure the vision system from identifying nodules and life on the nodules?

F.12 What happened to the mineral processing team?

F.11 What is the total available market (TAM) for Impossible Metals?

F.10 What is Impossible Metals’ business model?

Impossible Metals

STAY INFORMED

Connect with Us

Policies

STAY INFORMED

Connect with Us

Impossible Metals

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Stay Informed