Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited (Cobalt Blue) has entered into a consortium agreement with Glomar Minerals LLC (Glomar Minerals) to advance a critical minerals processing facility in the US. The parties plan to progress feasibility studies for processing polymetallic nodules, inclusive of piloting testwork at Cobalt Blue’s Broken Hill Technology Centre. The aim is to deliver a “world-first” plant for supplying products to the US advanced manufacturing and defence industries.
Highlights
- Cobalt Blue and Glomar Minerals have formed a consortium to advance a polymetallic nodule processing facility in the United States. The venture (Project Infinity) will combine Glomar Minerals’ licences and offshore minerals extraction capabilities with Cobalt Blue’s proven critical minerals processing expertise.
- The consortium plans to progress feasibility studies and development plans for a proposed ~200,000 tpa nodule-processing facility in the US.
- The agreement helps deliver the US–Australia Framework for Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths and demonstrates Australia’s significant capability as a technology partner.
- Polymetallic nodules provide an abundant, multi-metal resource containing cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), rare earth elements and titanium (Ti), enabling multi-commodity production from a single feedstock source.
- Cobalt Blue brings metallurgical experience and patented intellectual property developed through the Broken Hill Technology Centre for the Kwinana Cobalt Refinery (KCR), the Broken Hill Cobalt Project (BHCP), and related battery black mass processing programs. This expertise positioned the company favourably as the preferred processing partner for Glomar Minerals.
Critical minerals from polymetallic nodules are an identified national priority for the US Government and industry. Polymetallic nodules offer a unique multi-metal feedstock in a single high-grade resource stream.
The Glomar Minerals/Cobalt Blue consortium plans to build and operate the first polymetallic nodules processing facility in the US (Project Infinity). Cobalt Blue’s role is focused on using its patented flowsheet to undertake feasibility-stage studies to assess the technical and economic viability of polymetallic nodule processing.
Cobalt Blue delivers minerals processing technology and its application to mid-stream refining opportunities. The company focuses on building diversified, critical-mineral supply chains by leveraging its deep metallurgical expertise developed through progressing BHCP, KCR, and battery-black-mass recycling testwork at the Broken Hill Technology Centre. These capabilities will deliver new, diversified and de-risked supply chains.
Polymetallic nodules provide a high-grade and large-scale resource that can be processed with minimal waste generation. This aligns with Cobalt Blue’s emphasis on sustainability and next-generation refining solutions.
“Our collaboration with Glomar Minerals provides a compelling opportunity to utilise Cobalt Blue’s patented hydrometallurgical technology for a new, significant multi-commodity feedstock. Polymetallic nodules offer the prospect of supplying multiple critical minerals from a single resource stream. Moreover, this initiative delivers the US Government’s strategic focus on de-risking supply chains to support defence and advanced manufacturing. Our technical work to date indicates that high metal recoveries are achievable. Cobalt Blue is well positioned to support the development of a scalable US-based processing solution.”
— Dr Andrew Tong, CEO, Cobalt Blue
Cobalt Blue: Strategy Delivery
This partnership is an important enabler for the delivery of Cobalt Blue’s strategy. It helps:
- Position Cobalt Blue as a preferred US-aligned processing technology partner, and elevates the company’s role in building new, reliable and secure critical minerals supply chains.
- Demonstrate the scalability of Cobalt Blue’s patented flowsheet across multi-metal feedstocks, reinforcing its role as a mid-stream processing technology leader.
- Create near-term commercial opportunities for Cobalt Blue through testwork, piloting and engineering services for Glomar Minerals and future like-minded partners.
- Expand utilisation of the Broken Hill Technology Centre, strengthening its status as an international hydrometallurgical R&D hub.
- Place Cobalt Blue at the forefront of a strategically important, emerging industry, enhancing long-term growth and investor appeal.
The Cobalt Blue / Glomar Minerals Consortium
Glomar Minerals is seeking to develop and operate a business to harvest, process, market and sell critical minerals derived from polymetallic nodules. Glomar Minerals’ strategy is directly aligned to US strategies to develop new, secure, and resilient critical mineral supply chains.
Following global technical due diligence reviews, Cobalt Blue has been selected as the minerals processing partner for Glomar Minerals. Cobalt Blue will be responsible for:
- Developing and testing the process flowsheet for recovery of critical metals including Mn, Co, Cu, Ni and Ti from polymetallic nodules at its Broken Hill Technology Centre; and
- Undertaking pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for a ~200,000 tpa processing facility to be located in the US (Project Infinity). Site selection activities are well advanced.
Separately to the consortium agreement with Cobalt Blue, Glomar Minerals will advance related activities for harvesting of the nodules, shipping and logistics, and permitting.
“We are excited to partner with Cobalt Blue to advance critical minerals processing within the US from polymetallic nodules. This opportunity represents a gamechanger to redefine critical mineral dependence, and assist the United States to win the race for polymetallic nodule supremacy.”
— Robbie Diamond, Chairman, Glomar Minerals
The above work programs are expected to be completed over a period of 18–24 months from their commencement. The commencement date is subject to the consortium securing appropriate funding.
Cobalt Blue’s commitments are subject to the execution of binding agreements by which Cobalt Blue will be formally engaged by Glomar Minerals (or its nominee) to undertake the works. The Consortium Agreement is subject to a 6-month period of exclusivity during which both parties are prohibited from entering into agreements that conflict with their participation in the consortium. A party may withdraw from the Consortium Agreement in the period between the end of the exclusivity period and the date of receipt of any binding funding commitments, subject to conditions pertaining to costs and intellectual property rights.
Subject to successful outcomes, the parties will seek sufficient funding to proceed into development, including construction and operation of a processing facility in the US.
Polymetallic Nodules
Polymetallic nodules are predominantly golf ball-shaped mineral deposits that sit unattached and unburied on abyssal plains at depths between 4,000 and 6,000 metres. They are harvested using a collector system that retrieves them from the seafloor and lifts them to the surface.
Rich in critical metals: Deep ocean polymetallic nodules range in size from a grape to a potato — mostly golf ball-sized — with high concentrations of four key critical metals in a single resource (Mn, Co, Ni, Cu), as well as rare earths, titanium, and iron. In some regions, nodules contain more of these metals than the entire global terrestrial reserve base.
Abundant: Polymetallic nodules cover vast areas of the ocean floor, with higher abundance within the Clarion Clipperton Zone, where Glomar Minerals holds significant exploration licences. These are a world-class, multi-generational resource.
US Government Support
Polymetallic nodules are an important element of the US Government’s broader strategy to build new, secure supply chains for critical minerals essential to defence and advanced manufacturing.
In April 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14285, “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources.” The EO identified polymetallic nodules as a national priority and sought to expedite permitting for US and US-affiliated companies to facilitate commercial extraction of minerals including Co, Ni, and Mn from subsea nodules in US waters and beyond. Other elements of the EO focused on seabed exploration, streamlined permitting, resource mapping, and domestic processing.
Cobalt Blue’s Minerals Processing Expertise
Cobalt Blue has significant minerals processing expertise and has used its patented technology to successfully pilot process flowsheets for the recovery of Co, Ni, Mn, Cu and other minerals, including from polymetallic nodules. These flowsheets, originally developed for BHCP and KCR, are now being utilised for battery black mass testwork.
Cobalt Blue has successfully managed and delivered metallurgical testwork programs and engineering studies for third parties, including zinc-copper-gold-silver tailings from Hudbay (Canada) and copper-gold-cobalt pyrite ore from OZ Minerals (Australia).
Under the terms of the consortium agreement, Cobalt Blue will:
- Apply its previously demonstrated >90% extraction rates for Mn, Co and Ni from polymetallic nodules.
- Utilise the existing Broken Hill Technology Centre for piloting the process flowsheet, with minimal additional capital investment required. Cobalt Blue has invested over A$15 million into the Centre since 2021. Piloting is essential to de-risk commercial scale-up.
- Deliver well-advanced DFS-level engineering design packages based on KCR, modified to accommodate polymetallic nodules. Nodules contain 15–20% manganese; the intention is to produce high-purity manganese sulphate for the battery market.
- Draw on extensive experience with design and operation of complex hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy processing plants and associated bulk materials handling.
Glomar Minerals LLC
Glomar Minerals is an American critical minerals company dedicated to exploring, collecting, and processing seabed polymetallic nodules to secure a reliable, long-term supply of essential materials. Through its wholly owned subsidiary UK Seabed Resources (UKSR), Glomar Minerals holds two exploration contracts for polymetallic nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean totalling 133,000 km².
Glomar Minerals has assembled leading scientists, engineers, and offshore specialists to drive environmental research and advance the world-class battery, manufacturing, and defence resources found in polymetallic nodules. The company builds on decades of research in UKSR, leveraging extensive ocean exploration, operations and engineering experience, and is affiliated with world-leading scientific and academic institutions.
Glomar Minerals is in the process of significantly expanding its portfolio of undersea minerals, acquiring exploration rights to new polymetallic nodule deposits beyond its existing licence areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone.
Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited
Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited is a minerals processing and mining company developing an integrated, mid-stream processing platform in Australia, designed to diversify critical mineral supply chains in partnership with like-minded countries. Assets include:
- Kwinana Cobalt Refinery (KCR): Australia’s first dedicated cobalt refinery producing high-purity cobalt sulphate for the lithium-ion battery industry and high-grade cobalt metal for defence and industrial applications. Recent technical milestones and successful product qualification have validated the refinery’s design and attracted interest from international partners.
- Broken Hill Cobalt Project (BHCP): One of the world’s largest undeveloped cobalt resources. Recently granted a three-year extension to Major Project Status by the Commonwealth Government. Environmental permit applications are now advancing, with submission targeted for later this year.
- Broken Hill Technology Centre (BHTC): Cobalt Blue has invested more than A$15 million in the BHTC since 2021. The facility underpins process development across all of the company’s projects, and recent programs have included evaluating battery black mass as a potential cobalt source for the Refinery.
- Halls Creek Project: An early-stage copper–silver–zinc project. Current focus is on advancing flowsheet design, including potential silver recovery from the Onedin deposit via heap leaching.
