Impossible Metals

Key points Norway’s Parliament voted 79-20 to approve deep-sea mineral exploration in its exclusive economic zone following a five-year public consultation and environmental review process. Norwegian seafloor minerals are valued at 1-1.5 trillion US dollars, with cobalt reserves alone…

Key points Footage shows in-lab testing of the Eureka robotic arms and vision system. The clip is a screen grab from the tow tank testing UI.

Key points Eureka vehicles hover over the seafloor, collecting nodules in four-hour mission cycles while using computer vision to identify and exclude visible marine fauna. The company targets 2027 production with estimated $100 per ton extraction costs, using retrofitted bulk carriers and…

Key points Simon Segars recounts his 31 years at ARM (1991-2022), joining as a design engineer among a 15-person team and becoming the company’s third CEO before leading its 2016 acquisition by SoftBank for $32 billion. He credits ARM’s growth to a licensing model, rather than…

Key points Eleanor Martin, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, explains the ISA and UNCLOS regulatory framework for seabed mining, including how private companies must have a sponsoring state and the two-year approval deadline triggered by Nauru in July 2021. Draft exploitation regulations…

Key points Impossible Metals tested its Eureka II AUV at roughly 2 km depth in April 2024, reaching a fully autonomous deep-water dive. The launch and recovery system was redesigned with an improved frame and tagline capability, allowing operation in significant wave heights of more than two…

Key points Impossible Metals completed a successful deep water test of its Eureka II autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The AUV uses AI-guided cameras and robotic arms to pick up seafloor nodules individually, minimizing sediment disturbance and avoiding visible life. The vehicle leaves…

Key points Roland Berger senior partner Dr. Wolfgang Bernhart presents the firm’s Q4 2023 forecast, projecting global lithium-ion battery demand to roughly triple from about 1,500 GWh in 2024 to near 4.5 TWh by 2030, with sodium-ion adding up to 500 GWh. Bernhart says announced global…