Seabed Mining Under the Microscope: A Techno-Economic Reality Check - CleanTechnica

The article presents a detailed discussion between Michael Barnard and Lyle Trytten, a minerals processing expert, focusing on the techno-economic realities of seabed mining, particularly polymetallic nodules. The Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific Ocean is highlighted as the most explored and richest area for these nodules, with The Metals Company (TMC) having declared a small but significant mineral reserve of 50 million tons through a pre-feasibility study. This reserve classification indicates that the project is economically viable under current regulatory and market conditions. While the CCZ contains vast quantities of nodules, not all are economically extractable due to variations in density and metal composition. The potential impact of seabed mining is substantial enough to disrupt traditional terrestrial mining industries, especially in high-cost regions like Canada and parts of Africa. In contrast, other regions such as American Samoa and the Cook Islands remain underexplored, with uncertain resource quantities and variable nodule compositions influenced by local geological