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  • Scandinavian Ocean Minerals | Bothnian Bay

    Our ambition is to harvest for mineral-rich nodules on the seafloor in Bothnian Bay. Nodules in Bothnian Bay The polymetallic manganese nodules are rock-like, concretions formed by precipitation on the seabed and are found throughout the Baltic Sea. It is estimated that Bothnian Bay in total contain approximately 20 million tons of manganese nodules. The nodules can be refined into: Manganese used in batteries Iron for high quality steel products Silicon used in solar cells and semiconductors Other subjects used for different electronical and medical components 1. On theBothnia Bay seafloor lies small potato-sized lumps – nodules – that contain minerals. In theBaltic Sea lies 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) .

  • Scandinavian Ocean Minerals | Press release – exploration permit

    Exploration of the mineral deposits in the Bothnian Bay has been granted! Scandinavian Ocean Minerals Takes the Next Step – Granted Permit for Further Exploration in the Bothnian Bay On September 24th, Scandinavian Ocean Minerals was granted a permit by the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) – the government authority responsible for issues relating to bedrock, soil and groundwater in Sweden – to expand its exploration of mineral deposits in the Bothnian Bay. Scandinavian Ocean Minerals was founded in 2020 and aims to contribute to the industry's need for a green transition by harvesting mineral-rich manganese nodules from the seabed. Last year, the company was granted exploration permits for two areas in the Bothnian Bay. The decision by SGU on September 24th allows the company to conduct exploration in two additional areas in the Bothnian Bay, 75 kilometers east of Skellefteå in Sweden. "This is a milestone that gives us the opportunity to collect the data necessary to advance our ambition to assist the industry with the green transition," said Peter Lindberg, CEO of Scandinavian Ocean Minerals. The mineral-rich manganese nodules will play an important role for Sweden and the EU in reducing dependency on imports of critical minerals and metals. Estimates show that there are around 20 million tons of manganese nodules on the seabed in the Bothnian Bay. In October, Scandinavian Ocean Minerals will conduct a planned two-week expedition in the Bothnian Bay for sampling, in collaboration with Sweco, Europe's leading engineering and architecture consultancy. Alongside the company’s exploration efforts, researchers from Stockholm University are conducting an independent research project to increase knowledge about the habitat in the Bothnian Bay. "The climate challenge, electrification, geopolitical situation, and green revolution in the industry – all are creating high demand for the minerals we can offer. Moreover, our technology is developed to harvest nodules in an environmentally friendly way, which is essential for being able to extract the manganese nodules," said Peter Lindberg, CEO of Scandinavian Ocean Minerals. For more information, please contact: Peter Lindberg, CEO, Scandinavian Ocean Minerals 073-617 95 20 peter.lindberg@som-ab.se www.som-ab.se 1. On theBothnia Bay seafloor lies small potato-sized lumps – nodules – that contain minerals. In theBaltic Sea lies 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) .

  • Scandinavian Ocean Minerals | About us

    Our ambition is to harvest for mineral-rich nodules on the seafloor in Bothnian Bay – and in the Baltic Sea we will harvest for sediment that can be used for green energy. 4 trends that make us relevant The mission of Scandinavian Ocean Minerals is to meet the future needs of the green economy with gentle harvesting of ocean resources. We intend to do this by harvesting for mineral-rich nodules on the seafloor in Bothnian Bay. The nodules contain minerals that are critical for the green transition. In the Baltic Sea we will harvest for sediment that can be used for green energy. In both cases we oxygenate the seafloor in the process, which counteracts acidification. This is how we do it: About us There are four macro trends affecting us where Scandinavian Ocean Minerals have a part to play: First, the environmental challenges we face is one of the major global mega trends. The consequences from global warming and carbon emissions are massive and calls for hasty action. The environmental challenges are high on the political agenda, where policy makers have gone from discussing the problems to focusing on solutions. There is a strong global commitment to find and support solutions, not least by the UN global goals. In this context it should be mentioned that the Baltic Sea, where we are operating, is one of the world's most polluted oceans. Eutrophication, overfishing, increased shipping, and emissions of environmental toxins have turned the Baltic Sea into an ocean in crisis. A solution to reach the ambitious UN global goals is through the electric energy transition – the second macro trend. This is a prerequisite for phasing out the use of fossil fuels and limiting climate change. The electrification has been particularly strong when it comes to solar cells and in the transport sector. 99 percent of the raw materials of the batteries in these cars are, according to the European Commission, from outside of Europe. Due to the massive demand the supply chain has been challenged, which naturally brings us to the third trend – the geopolitical shift from interdependency towards self-sufficiency. The dependence on other countries, not least authoritarian states has been questioned and have led to initiatives where countries look for alternative solution to access necessary materials and technologies. Over 90 percent of the rare earth metals that the EU imports come from China, which also totally dominates the production of silicon. The green transition risks making Europe as dependent on minerals from non-European countries as it is on gas from Russia. The EU has identified the problem and is now working with the "Critical raw materials act" to enable extraction of important metals in Europe. The fourth trend is the ongoing green industrial revolution, particularly in the north of Sweden – Norrland. According to the chambers of commerce in Norrbotten and Västerbotten the current planned investments in Norrland sum up to over 1000 Bn SEK and between 25 000 to 100 000 new jobs being created consequently – and most of the investments are green. There are four macro trends affecting us where Scandinavian Ocean Minerals have a part to play: First, the environmental challenges we face is one of the major global mega trends. The consequences from global warming and carbon emissions are massive and calls for hasty action. The environmental challenges are high on the political agenda, where policy makers have gone from discussing the problems to focusing on solutions. There is a strong global commitment to find and support solutions, not least by the UN global goals. In this context it should be mentioned that the Baltic Sea, where we are operating, is one of the world's most polluted oceans. Eutrophication, overfishing, increased shipping, and emissions of environmental toxins have turned the Baltic Sea into an ocean in crisis. A solution to reach the ambitious UN global goals is through the electric energy transition – the second macro trend. This is a prerequisite for phasing out the use of fossil fuels and limiting climate change. The electrification has been particularly strong when it comes to solar cells and in the transport sector. 99 percent of the raw materials of the batteries in these cars are, according to the European Commission, from outside of Europe. Due to the massive demand the supply chain has been challenged, which naturally brings us to the third trend – the geopolitical shift from interdependency towards self-sufficiency. The dependence on other countries, not least authoritarian states has been questioned and have led to initiatives where countries look for alternative solution to access necessary materials and technologies. Over 90 percent of the rare earth metals that the EU imports come from China, which also totally dominates the production of silicon. The green transition risks making Europe as dependent on minerals from non-European countries as it is on gas from Russia. The EU has identified the problem and is now working with the "Critical raw materials act" to enable extraction of important metals in Europe. The fourth trend is the ongoing green industrial revolution, particularly in the north of Sweden – Norrland. According to the chambers of commerce in Norrbotten and Västerbotten the current planned investments in Norrland sum up to over 1000 Bn SEK and between 25 000 to 100 000 new jobs being created consequently – and most of the investments are green.

  • Scandinavian Ocean Minerals | Milestones

    Follow the big events in Scandinavian Ocean Minerals' journey. 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 Exploration permit from the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise Sea survey is carried out in October The financing process is intensified 2024 April-may: Surveys regarding environmental impact start in Bothnia Bay Sept: The surveys are finalized Sept-dec: Finalizing of the MKB for Bothnia Bay In parallell, ongoing work with the Baltic Sea project 2025 Jan-Mar: The permit application with EIA as an appendix sent to the government Oct-Dec: Possible response from the government 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 1. On theBothnia Bay seafloor lies small potato-sized lumps – nodules – that contain minerals. In theBaltic Sea lies 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) .

  • After the Successful Expedition – Work Continues

    Scandinavian Ocean Minerals holds exploration permits for four areas in the Bothnian Bay, covering a total of 800 square kilometers. A collaborator and his plans for 2025 We aim to do something that is both important and complex. Therefore, it is crucial to have competent collaborators with cutting-edge expertise in science. For us, Björn Glaser—Associate Professor and Head of the Unit of Processes at the Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan) in Stockholm—is one of those people. Björn, a German metallurgist named after Björn Borg, has extensive experience in high-temperature metallurgy processes. “Next year, I hope to begin studies that will help Scandinavian Ocean Minerals develop sustainable processes for incorporating nodules as an important raw material in the value chain,” he says. Björn looks forward to advancing his collaboration with us, along with his dedicated team. “I see a lot of potential. Currently, for example, much of the electrolytic manganese is imported from South Africa and Asia, where it is mined and produced using hydrometallurgical and electrolytic processes, leaving a high environmental impact. If we could find a more sustainable way to extract, for example, ferromanganese from the Swedish seabed and process it cost-effectively, that would be a significant achievement.” Peter Lindberg, CEO SOM AB peter.lindberg@som-ab.se , +46(0)73-617 95 20 Peter Lindberg, CEO SOM AB peter.lindberg@som-ab.se , +46(0)73-617 95 20 Peter Lindberg, CEO SOM AB peter.lindberg@som-ab.se , +46(0)73-617 95 20 Peter Lindberg, CEO SOM AB peter.lindberg@som-ab.se , +46(0)73-617 95 20 1. On theBothnia Bay seafloor lies small potato-sized lumps – nodules – that contain minerals. In theBaltic Sea lies 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) .

  • Scandinavian Ocean Minerals | Press release – exploration permit

    Exploration of the mineral deposits in the Bothnian Bay has been granted! Green light for Scandinavian Ocean Minerals – Exploration of the mineral deposits in the Bothnian Bay has been granted! Scandinavian Ocean Minerals has been granted an exploration permit from the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise. The background is the mineral deposits located in two areas in the Bothnian Bay. "The permit gives us the opportunity to take the next step in our vision of creating the conditions necessary for a fossil-free society!" says Peter Lindberg, CEO of Scandinavian Ocean Minerals. An exploration permit for sampling the mineral deposits, which consist of poly-metallic nodules has now been granted. The total recoverable amount of nodules in the Bothnian Bay is calculated to approximately 20 million tonnes. Once the business is fully operational, the goal is that approximately one million tonnes of nodules will be extracted annually. This business paves the way for a new and unique industry for Sweden: a green, offshore industry which reconciles climate benefits, commercial interests, and job creation. "The fact that we have now been granted permission to explore the Bothnian Bay is an important political signal. The purpose of the business is to increase Sweden's and Europe's self-sufficiency in terms of innovation-critical minerals including those needed for the production of batteries and semiconductors,” explains Peter Lindberg. Minimal environmental impact The studies, which have now been approved by the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, will ensure that future harvesting of the minerals can be carried out in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way. To succeed, Scandinavian Ocean Minerals is developing a technology that enables gentle uptake, so-called harvesting, of the nodules in a circular process which returns oxygenated water to the bottom. The method is unique and should not be confused with conventional land mining or deep sea mining. "The nodules are extracted using a gentle technique. You could say that we harvest the sea floor with our method, which has less environmental impact than conventional mining," says Bengt Simonsson, research manager at Scandinavian Ocean Minerals. Peter Lindberg, CEO SOM AB peter.lindberg@som-ab.se , +46(0)73-617 95 20 1. On theBothnia Bay seafloor lies small potato-sized lumps – nodules – that contain minerals. In theBaltic Sea lies 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) .

  • Scandinavian Ocean Minerals | Press release – exploration permit

    Green light for Scandinavian Ocean Minerals – Exploration of the mineral deposits in the Bothnian Bay has been granted! Scandinavian Ocean Minerals has been granted an exploration permit from the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise. The background is the mineral deposits located in two areas in the Bothnian Bay. "The permit gives us the opportunity to take the next step in our vision of creating the conditions necessary for a fossil-free society!" says Peter Lindberg, CEO of Scandinavian Ocean Minerals. An exploration permit for sampling the mineral deposits, which consist of poly-metallic nodules has now been granted. The total recoverable amount of nodules in the Bothnian Bay is calculated to approximately 20 million tonnes. Once the business is fully operational, the goal is that approximately one million tonnes of nodules will be extracted annually. This business paves the way for a new and unique industry for Sweden: a green, offshore industry which reconciles climate benefits, commercial interests, and job creation. "The fact that we have now been granted permission to explore the Bothnian Bay is an important political signal. The purpose of the business is to increase Sweden's and Europe's self-sufficiency in terms of innovation-critical minerals including those needed for the production of batteries and semiconductors,” explains Peter Lindberg. Minimal environmental impact The studies, which have now been approved by the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, will ensure that future harvesting of the minerals can be carried out in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way. To succeed, Scandinavian Ocean Minerals is developing a technology that enables gentle uptake, so-called harvesting, of the nodules in a circular process which returns oxygenated water to the bottom. The method is unique and should not be confused with conventional land mining or deep sea mining. "The nodules are extracted using a gentle technique. You could say that we harvest the sea floor with our method, which has less environmental impact than conventional mining," says Bengt Simonsson, research manager at Scandinavian Ocean Minerals. Peter Lindberg, CEO SOM AB peter.lindberg@som-ab.se , +46(0)73-617 95 20 1. On theBothnia Bay seafloor lies small potato-sized lumps – nodules – that contain minerals. In theBaltic Sea lies 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) .

  • Scandinavian Ocean Minerals AB

    Healthy oceans in close harmony with green economy Scandinavian Ocean Minerals on Swedish TV Swedish TV accompanied Scandinavian Ocean Minerals on one of our surveys. See feature here > News Hur vi skiljer oss från deep sea mining 10 oktober, 2023 I'm a paragraph. I'm connected to your collection through a dataset. Click Preview to see my content. To update me, go to the Data Manager. Läs blogg SOM-bloggen Nodules in Bothnian Bay > Green energy in Baltic Sea > Our projects Scandinavian Ocean Minerals are operating in two different projects: Bothnian Bay and the Baltic Sea. In both projects we use our own developed air-lift technique, but the difference is that in Bothnian Bay, where we have come the furthest, we are harvesting for poly-metalic nodules while we at the Baltic Sea harvest for sediments refined into green energy. In both projects the seafloor is oxygenated in the process. Overall trends affecting society: The environmental challenges we face is one of the major global mega trends. There is a strong global commitment to find and support solutions, not least by the UN global goals. One solution to meet the goals is the electric energy transition – the second macro trend. The third trend is the geopolitical shift towards self-sufficiency to find alternative solutions to access necessary materials. The fourth trend is the green industrial revolution . Partners

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