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2013

Milestones

  • Knowledge acquisition, idea process, process evaluation and tests

2014

2018

  • Practical tests with absorption of bottom sediments in the Baltic Sea

2022

2020

  • Ocean Minerals AB (SOM AB) is established, and the permission application is started.

  • Initial contacts with potential partners

  • SOM AB presents a proposal to the Swedish government on how to prevent the bottom death in the Baltic Sea

  • The manganese deposits are verified through an expedition

2021

  • SGU recommends the government to approve the research permit (June)

  • Successful test with a unique method that releases iron and manganese without impurities from the manganese nodules

  • The operations is presented to the Swedish Minister of Industry

2023

  • The exploration permits for areas 1 and 2 are granted by the government

  • Surveys with initial hydrographic surveys are starting

  • The financing process is intensified

2024

  • Exploration permits for areas 3 and 4 are granted by The Geological Survey of Sweden

  • A survey for the nature value inventory is being carried out

  • Work on the Baltic Sea project is ongoing concurrently

2025

  • The nature value inventory report is being completed

  • Consultation regarding the extraction permit with the relevant authorities

  • Expedition with the Bothnia Surveyor to map nodules in additional areas

  • The environmental impact assessment is being completed

  • An application for extraction is submitted to the government

  • Technological development for harvesting and methods for processing nodules are ongoing concurrently

  • The projects in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea are brought together

  • LOI with LKAB on development of process technology, infrastructure and receiving of minerals

  • Collaboration with Vattenfall and SSAB in the Baltic Sea project

  • The survey vessel R/V Bothnia Surveyor is acquired

  • The application for a research permit is sent to the Ministry of Industry (November), which forwards the matter to the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU)

  • Letter of intent (LOI) with LKAB on development of process technology, infrastructure and reception of minerals

  • Cooperation with Vattenfall and SSAB regarding the Baltic Sea project

  • The survey vessel R/V Botnia Surveyor is acquired

  • The application for a research permit is sent to the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, which forwards the case to the responsible authority, i.e. Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU)

  • Knowledge acquisition, idea process, process evaluation and tests

2026

  • A government decision is made regarding the extraction application

  • Development of technology and methods for processing nodules is ongoing concurrently

2027

  • Harvesting of nodules can begin

2026

2027

  • A government decision is issued regarding the permit application for extraction

  • Development of technology and methods for processing nodules is ongoing in parallel

  • Harvesting of nodules can begin

1.

On theBothnia Bayseafloor lies small potato-sized lumps – nodules – that contain minerals. In theBaltic Sealies sediments.

2.

Via an air-lift technique, developed by Scandinavian Ocean Minerals, the seafloor is gently harvested for nodules or bottom sediment.

3.

On board the ship, nodules are filtered or, if sediment centrifuged

4.

Water and material that is not used is returned directly to the seafloor, which becomes oxygenated in the process.

5.

Nodules and sediment are transported to land where nodules are refined into, among other things, manganese, iron, silicon (used for batteries, solar cells and semiconductors) while sediment becomes biogas, hydrogen gas or green coal (used for fossil-free steel) .

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