Hopefully, by the time the technology is ready to start harvesting, the demand will be greatly reduced. Bearing in mind that the mining and extraction process will probably be expensive.
Metals prices are always volatile. Right now, there's a glut of nickel and cobalt globally. Major producers are actually idling their mines to try and raise prices. So that'll certainly be a wild card to watch.
This is similar to West Coast Floating Offshore Wind projects. The technology requires major onshore support, and significant parts are not fully developed, such as dynamic transmission lines and anchoring in water more than 3,000 feet deep.
This mining wouldn't require permanent infrastructure in the water or on the seabed. But it would certainly alter the seabed habitat, and possibly the water column too. And yes, new onshore processing plants would be required.
Hopefully, by the time the technology is ready to start harvesting, the demand will be greatly reduced. Bearing in mind that the mining and extraction process will probably be expensive.
Metals prices are always volatile. Right now, there's a glut of nickel and cobalt globally. Major producers are actually idling their mines to try and raise prices. So that'll certainly be a wild card to watch.
This is similar to West Coast Floating Offshore Wind projects. The technology requires major onshore support, and significant parts are not fully developed, such as dynamic transmission lines and anchoring in water more than 3,000 feet deep.
This mining wouldn't require permanent infrastructure in the water or on the seabed. But it would certainly alter the seabed habitat, and possibly the water column too. And yes, new onshore processing plants would be required.