Impossible Metals

Key points CEO Oliver Gunasekara says demand for nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese could rise 500% by 2050, and cites Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates of 384 new mines needed within a decade to meet electric vehicle demand alone. He notes new land-based nickel deposits now average…

Key points Eureka 2, Impossible Metals’ first deep-water nodule collection vehicle, has three Delta arms, four buoyancy engines and three stereo cameras, and has been tested autonomously in Georgian Bay on Lake Huron at depths of 50 to 100 meters. The vehicle has a 50 kilogram in-water…

Key points A company representative says Impossible Metals’ Eureka 2 vehicle carries a USBL, inertial navigation system and Doppler velocity log for positioning, along with roughly 13 cameras. Eureka 2 is built to operate to depths of 6,000 meters with long endurance, according to the…

Key points Impossible Metals demonstrates its Eureka I system autonomously picking up rocks in a lake, filmed in May 2023. The system uses AI computer vision to identify rocks, then controls a robotic arm and gripper to collect them.

Key points LFP batteries deliver about one-third less driving range than NMC batteries, with energy densities of 170-220 Wh/kg compared to 250-350 Wh/kg. LFP cells vent combustible gases when thermally stressed, requiring heavier pack designs that prevent weight savings; an LFP fire in…

Key points Norwegian government plans January 2024 decision on opening continental shelf for deep-sea mining after 20+ years of exploration and research. Three types of deposits targeted: cobalt-rich manganese crusts and massive sulfides (no polymetallic nodules found in Norwegian waters).…

Key points Bob Galyen, retired CTO of CATL, presents Impossible Metals’ monthly webinar covering why China succeeded in batteries, megatrends, supply-demand growth and the circular economy model. Galyen says Impossible Metals plans to use a biological degradation process with bacteria…

Key points Impossible Metals uses a specialized test tank to refine the design of the arm and end effectors used to pick up nodules. Designers and researchers use the tank to compare different end effector designs and measure the amount of sediment suspended during nodule pickup.

Key points CEO Oliver Gunasekara says Impossible Metals aims to produce 9 million metric tons of seabed material annually by 2030, using a large fleet of untethered autonomous underwater vehicles instead of traditional dredging. The company’s AUVs hover above the seabed and use AI and…