TMC the metals company, a player in the exploration of deep-sea battery metals, has announced the production of high-temperature calcine during the initial phase of a large-scale commercial processing trial. The project involves processing 2,000 tonnes of polymetallic nodules from the seafloor, in partnership with Pacific Metals (PAMCO) at their Hachinohe Rotary Kiln Electric-Arc Furnace facility in Japan.
The trial used PAMCO’s 131-meter-long commercial kiln, processing approximately 1,200 tonnes of nodules at a rate of up to 60 tonnes per hour. This phase produced 500 tonnes of calcine, which will now be smelted into high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt alloy and manganese silicate in the coming months. The materials processed are critical for the production of lithium-ion batteries and other infrastructure vital for the global energy transition.
Dr. Jeffrey Donald, Head of Onshore Development at TMC, expressed excitement about achieving this milestone after years of preparation. PAMCO’s technical teams are also eager to continue with the smelting phase, marking the world’s first commercial-scale processing of polymetallic nodules.
The data from this trial will inform future processing agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2023 between TMC and PAMCO to conduct a feasibility study for processing 1.3 million tonnes of wet polymetallic nodules annually. 
