Key points
- SIVA increased funding to the Future Materials Catapult Center, helping fund a new University of Bergen led expedition.
- Research vessel FF Kronprins Haakon left Longyearbyen on March 13 for DeepInsight25 to survey Deep Insight Hill.
- Expedition aims to collect more video and samples of potential critical mineral occurrences for the green transition.
- Processing group, working from 2023 expedition samples, hit smelter grade copper and zinc concentrates and will scale from bench to pilot size, says Nina Solvang.
SIVA has allocated more funds to the Future Materials Catapult Center’s work in EMINENT
SIVA has allocated more funds to the Future Materials Catapult Center’s work in EMINENT, significantly contributing to the project’s opportunity to embark on a new expedition led by University of Bergen. On March 13th, the research vessel FF Kronprins Haakon set out from Longyearbyen on DeepInsight25, under brilliant sunshine, aiming to collect more video documentation and samples of the occurrences in the region of Deep Insight Hill, which could potentially serve as a source of critical minerals for the green transition.
“The EMINENT processing group has so far worked with samples from the 2023 expedition and has made significant progress in finding a processing route that produces copper and zinc concentrates at the level required by smelters for their raw materials. It is therefore very gratifying that the project now receives more material to work with and can scale up its tests from bench scale to pilot sizes,” says the work package project manager Nina Solvang.
