TMC the metals company Inc. And Allseas Sign Commercial Agreement For First Offshore Nodule Recovery Operation
TMC
Published on 05/11/2026 at 12:05 pm EDT
TMC the metals company Inc. had signed the Contract for Development Work and Commercial Production (the "Agreement") with Allseas for the development, commissioning and operation of the first commercial nodule collection system in preparation for the commencement of nodule recovery operations in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean. Allseas will complete the procurement, integration and operation of what the Company expects will be the world?s first commercial nodule production system. The system will comprise two nodule collector vehicles and their Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS), a riser system, the surface production vessel Hidden Gem, and a transfer vessel.
Collected nodules will be transferred to bulk carriers at sea and then transported to designated ports for processing. The commercial system will have a nameplate production capacity of 3.0 million wet tonnes per annum with the surface vessel Hidden Gem receiving nodules collected by two collector vehicles operating at depths of over four kilometers. Concept and basic engineering for key long-lead items like the riser, Launch and Recovery Systems and umbilical are complete, with tender and vendor engagement to commence soon and subcontract awards expected by end of Third Quarter 2026.
TMC expects system commissioning to begin in Fourth Quarter 2027. The offshore production system is designed for a nameplate production capacity of 3.0 million wet tonnes per annum (Mtpa) and reflects the operating configuration and initial phase of the development program outlined in TMC's SEC-compliant S-K 1300 Technical Report Summary of Preliminary Feasibility Study of NORI Area D (PFS) published in August 2025. The system is expected to operate with two tracked collector vehicles working in parallel on the seafloor, delivering nodules to the surface production vessel before transport to shore for processing.
In preparation for offshore production, Allseas has completed conceptual and basic engineering for several key long-lead components, including the four-kilometer-long riser pipe, LARS, the umbilical connecting the collector vehicles to the Hidden Gem, and other key components. The development of the first commercial nodule recovery system marks a defining moment for Allseas and the Company, which has delivered many of the nodule industry?s firsts since its founding in 2011. 1st Canadian NI 43-101 nodule resource statement.
1st U.S. SEC S-K 1300 nodule resource statement. 1st U.S. SEC S-K 1300 nodule PFS. 1st U.S. SEC S-K 1300 declared nodule mineral reserves.
1st integrated pilot mining test in the CCZ since the 1970s. Multiple innovations in system design informed by environmental baseline and pilot data. 1st near zero-solid-waste flowsheet design.
1st production of NiCuCo alloy since the 1970s. 1st production of NiCuCo matte. 1st production of Ni sulfate.
1st production of Co sulfate. 1st production of Mn sulfate. 1st production of Mn silicate and NiCuCo alloy at industrial scale.
1st application for commercial recovery permit to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 1st consolidated application to NOAA. 1st consolidated application to be deemed fully compliant by NOAA.
1st integrated collection plan. 1st completed environmental baseline study. 1st in-situ geotechnical cone penetration test measurements in the CCZ.
1st complete environmental monitoring as part of an integrated pilot mining test. 1st midwater discharge plume model. 1st calibrated seafloor production sound model.
1st profiling of collector seafloor plume using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. 1st integrated seafloor-to-surface environmental impact assessment (EIA). 1st commercial lifecycle impacts assessment (LCA).