Supporting Safer Subsea Mining Offshore
As the world continues its transition to a low carbon economy, demand is increasing for metals required for new forms of transportation and electrical storage. Metals such as copper, cobalt, nickel and manganese exist on land, but are increasingly difficult to extract sustainably. Subsea mining, a method of retrieving minerals from the seafloor, can be an alternative to the land-based mining given the abundant resources on the seafloor.
Classification of Subsea Mining Units, Equipment and Systems
The key technological challenges to subsea mining include the development of reliable offshore mining units, and subsea mining equipment and systems. Through the classification process, the design, construction and installation of such mining units and subsea mining equipment and systems can be verified for compliance with established rules and standards, and address the needs of regulatory agencies, lending institutions and other stakeholders.
As the world’s leading offshore classification society, ABS answers the industry challenge with the ABS Guide for Subsea Mining, providing class requirements for the design, construction, installation and survey of mobile offshore mining units intended for subsea mining. The Guide covers ship-type and column-stabilized units, focusing on three major elements: the hull structure; the anchoring and equipment; and onboard machinery, equipment and systems. The Guide also provides class requirements for subsea mining equipment and systems placed onboard mobile offshore mining units and submerged in water.
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