Latest news with #ImpossibleMetals
CBC
33 minutes ago
- Politics
- CBC
Canadian technology could be used to mine the deep seas, but there's growing alarm over the risks
Social Sharing In dark waters near Collingwood, Ont., a giant yellow machine with metallic claws precisely snatches tiny rock balls from the lakebed, kicking up sediment with each grab. While it looks like a claw game at an arcade, for Impossible Metals, it's a demonstration of the technology the company plans to use more than 10,000 kilometres away, to mine mineral-rich nodules from the Pacific Ocean seabed. But for some scientists, it is a concerning signal of the push for more deep-sea mining, which they warn could have devastating consequences for the world's oceans. Writing in the journal Nature on Wednesday, a group of environmental scientists from across the world including Canada are calling for a total ban on deep-sea mining, saying the underwater ecosystems are "too important to the habitability of Earth to gamble with for the narrow and uncertain rewards." They say such mining would disturb seabeds, releasing the carbon stored there (more than in shallower areas) and thus contributing to climate change. The letter also notes how little is known about deep-sea life. It says the risk of tapping into these resources is too high. "There is a very strong case for a moratorium on all forms of exploiting the high seas," Johan Rockström, one of the letter's authors, told CBC News. That means anything outside of national jurisdictions, which extend 200 nautical miles from shore. Rockström says the oceans hold 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped on Earth because of greenhouse gases. WATCH | Pushing for, and against, deep-sea mining: Scientists want a ban on deep-sea mining. Trump wants to fast-track it 1 day ago Duration 1:59 A group of leading ocean and climate scientists, including Canadians, is calling for a ban on deep-sea mining just as U.S. President Donald Trump moves to fast-track undersea mining approvals. "The ocean, ultimately, [is] the system that buffers and will determine the stability of the whole planet," he said from Germany, where he is the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research. But Impossible Metals, which is based in San Jose, Calif., and has a technology division in Ontario, claims it will be able to strike a balance between protecting the environment and obtaining the nodules, which are rich in critical minerals, on the ocean floor. Its autonomous underwater robot, the Eureka 2, will be careful, says CEO Oliver Gunasekara. "We use AI to identify life," he said, while demonstrating the unit in Collingwood. "If we see life, we put a quarantine, virtual circle around it, and the vehicle flies over the top and doesn't impact that life." Gunasekara says using robotic arms means less sediment disruption compared to scraping or digging into the seabed. He says a future that is more electrified is "going to need massive quantities of all of these metals, and the ocean has the biggest source" — and that his company can get them faster, for the lowest cost and with the least environmental impact. It is waiting for approval to mine off of American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean. Though there are currently no commercial deep-sea mining operations, a recent executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to make it easier to mine within U.S. waters — directing agencies to streamline permissions and invest in such technology. The administration hopes to open a new source of critical minerals to reduce foreign dependence. The nodules contain cobalt, nickel and manganese — useful in batteries and other electronics. But the order is also using an old law to justify mining and exploration beyond U.S. jurisdiction. Along with Impossible Metals, another prominent mining firm, The Metals Company, has turned to the U.S. to start mining in the ocean. Rashid Sumaila, another of the letter's authors and Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Oceans and Fisheries Economics at the University of British Columbia, is concerned that a few companies and countries who are very pro-mining could overrule the concerns of the rest of the world. Many countries have long been negotiating over deep-sea mining at the UN-affiliated International Seabed Authority, of which the U.S. is not a member. Sumaila is critical of approving ocean mining without global agreement. "The majority can say, 'Look, this doesn't make sense,' and yet a few push hard… and at the end of the day, they end up getting what they want to the detriment of the larger global population," he said. Countries will gather next week in France for the United Nations Ocean Conference to talk about sustainable practices.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Robot with a gentle touch: Canadian lake tests pave way for eco-friendly deep-sea mining
COLLINGWOOD (Canada), June 4 — Three robotic arms extended under the water in a Canadian lake, delicately selecting pebbles from the bed, before storing them back inside the machine. The exercise was part of a series of tests the robot was undergoing before planned deployment in the ocean, where its operators hope the machine can transform the search for the world's most sought-after metals. The robot was made by Impossible Metals, a company founded in California in 2020, which says it is trying to develop technology that allows the seabed to be harvested with limited ecological disruption. Conventional underwater harvesting involves scooping up huge amounts of material in search of potato-sized things called poly-metallic nodules. These nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt, or other metals needed for electric vehicle batteries, among other key products. Impossible Metals' co-founder Jason Gillham told AFP his company's robot looks for the nodules 'in a selective way.' The prototype, being tested in the province of Ontario, remains stationary in the water, hovering over the lake bottom. In a lab, company staff monitor the yellow robot on screens, using what looks like a video game console to direct its movements. Using lights, cameras and artificial intelligence, the robot tries to identify the sought-after nodules while leaving aquatic life — such as octopuses' eggs, coral, or sponges — undisturbed. 'A bit like bulldozers' In a first for the nascent sector, Impossible Metals has requested a permit from US President Donald Trump to use its robot in American waters around Samoa, in the Pacific. The company is hoping that its promise of limited ecological disruption will give it added appeal. Competitors, like The Metals Company, use giant machines that roll along the seabed and suck up the nodules, a highly controversial technique. Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told AFP this method scoops up ocean floor using collectors or excavators, 'a bit like bulldozers,' he explained. Everything is then brought up to ships, where the nodules are separated from waste, which is tossed back into the ocean. This creates large plumes of sediment and toxins with a multitude of potential impacts, he said. A less invasive approach, like that advocated by Impossible Metals, would reduce the risk of environmental damage, McCauley explained. But he noted lighter-touch harvesting is not without risk. The nodules themselves also harbour living organisms, and removing them even with a selective technique, involves destroying the habitat, he said. Impossible Metals admits its technology cannot detect microscopic life, but the company claims to have a policy of leaving 60 per cent of the nodules untouched. McCauley is unconvinced, explaining 'ecosystems in the deep ocean are especially fragile and sensitive.' 'Life down there moves very slowly, so they reproduce very slowly, they grow very slowly.' Duncan Currie of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said it was impossible to assess the impact of any deep sea harvesting. 'We don't know enough yet either in terms of the biodiversity and the ecosystem down there,' he told AFP. According to the international scientific initiative Ocean Census, only 250,000 species are known, out of the two million that are estimated to populate the oceans. Impossible Metals workers conducting the launch of Eureka II, a robotic underwater vehicle into the water in Collingwood, Ontario, on May 1, 2025. — AFP pic High demand Mining is 'always going to have some impact,' said Impossible Metals chief executive and co-founder Oliver Gunasekara, who has spent most of his career in the semiconductor field. But, he added, 'we need a lot more critical minerals, as we want to electrify everything.' Illustrating the global rush toward underwater mining, Impossible Metals has raised US$15 million from investors to build and test a first series of its Eureka 3 robot in 2026. The commercial version will be the size of a shipping container and will expand from three to 16 arms, and its battery will grow from 14 to nearly 200 kilowatt-hours. The robot will be fully autonomous and self-propel, without cables or tethers to the surface, and be equipped with sensors. While awaiting the US green light, the company hopes to finalise its technology within two to three years, conduct ocean tests, build a fleet, and operate through partnerships elsewhere in the world. — AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
In Canada Lake, Robot Learns to Mine without Disrupting Marine Life
Three robotic arms extended under the water in a Canadian lake, delicately selecting pebbles from the bed, before storing them back inside the machine. The exercise was part of a series of tests the robot was undergoing before planned deployment in the ocean, where its operators hope the machine can transform the search for the world's most sought-after metals. The robot was made by Impossible Metals, a company founded in California in 2020, which says it is trying to develop technology that allows the seabed to be harvested with limited ecological disruption. Conventional underwater harvesting involves scooping up huge amounts of material in search of potato-sized things called poly-metallic nodules. These nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt, or other metals needed for electric vehicle batteries, among other key products. Impossible Metals' co-founder Jason Gillham told AFP his company's robot looks for the nodules "in a selective way." The prototype, being tested in the province of Ontario, remains stationary in the water, hovering over the lake bottom. In a lab, company staff monitor the yellow robot on screens, using what looks like a video game console to direct its movements. Using lights, cameras and artificial intelligence, the robot tries to identify the sought-after nodules while leaving aquatic life, such as octopuses' eggs, coral, or sponges, undisturbed. - 'A bit like bulldozers' - In a first for the nascent sector, Impossible Metals has requested a permit from US President Donald Trump to use its robot in American waters around Samoa, in the Pacific. The company is hoping that its promise of limited ecological disruption will give it added appeal. Competitors, like The Metals Company, use giant machines that roll along the seabed and suck up the nodules, a highly controversial technique. Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told AFP this method scoops up ocean floor using collectors or excavators, "a bit like bulldozers," he explained. Everything is then brought up to ships, where the nodules are separated from waste, which is tossed back into the ocean. This creates large plumes of sediment and toxins with a multitude of potential impacts, he said. A less invasive approach, like that advocated by Impossible Metals, would reduce the risk of environmental damage, McCauley explained. But he noted lighter-touch harvesting is not without risk. The nodules themselves also harbor living organisms, and removing them even with a selective technique, involves destroying the habitat, he said. Impossible Metals admits its technology cannot detect microscopic life, but the company claims to have a policy of leaving 60 percent of the nodules untouched. McCauley is unconvinced, explaining "ecosystems in the deep ocean are especially fragile and sensitive." "Life down there moves very slowly, so they reproduce very slowly, they grow very slowly." Duncan Currie of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said it was impossible to assess the impact of any deep sea harvesting. "We don't know enough yet either in terms of the biodiversity and the ecosystem down there," he told AFP. According to the international scientific initiative Ocean Census, only 250,000 species are known, out of the two million that are estimated to populate the oceans. - High demand - Mining is "always going to have some impact," said Impossible Metals chief executive and co-founder Oliver Gunasekara, who has spent most of his career in the semiconductor field. But, he added, "we need a lot more critical minerals, as we want to electrify everything." Illustrating the global rush toward underwater mining, Impossible Metals has raised US$15 million from investors to build and test a first series of its Eureka 3 robot in 2026. The commercial version will be the size of a shipping container and will expand from three to 16 arms, and its battery will grow from 14 to nearly 200 kilowatt-hours. The robot will be fully autonomous and self-propel, without cables or tethers to the surface, and be equipped with sensors. While awaiting the US green light, the company hopes to finalize its technology within two to three years, conduct ocean tests, build a fleet, and operate through partnerships elsewhere in the world.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
In Canada Lake, Robot Learns To Mine Without Disrupting Marine Life
Ottawa: Three robotic arms extended under the water in a Canadian lake, delicately selecting pebbles from the bed, before storing them back inside the machine. The exercise was part of a series of tests the robot was undergoing before planned deployment in the ocean, where its operators hope the machine can transform the search for the world's most sought-after metals. The robot was made by Impossible Metals, a company founded in California in 2020, which says it is trying to develop technology that allows the seabed to be harvested with limited ecological disruption. Conventional underwater harvesting involves scooping up huge amounts of material in search of potato-sized things called poly-metallic nodules. These nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt, or other metals needed for electric vehicle batteries, among other key products. Impossible Metals' co-founder Jason Gillham told AFP his company's robot looks for the nodules "in a selective way." The prototype, being tested in the province of Ontario, remains stationary in the water, hovering over the lake bottom. In a lab, company staff monitor the yellow robot on screens, using what looks like a video game console to direct its movements. Using lights, cameras and artificial intelligence, the robot tries to identify the sought-after nodules while leaving aquatic life -- such as octopuses' eggs, coral, or sponges -- undisturbed. 'A bit like bulldozers' In a first for the nascent sector, Impossible Metals has requested a permit from US President Donald Trump to use its robot in American waters around Samoa, in the Pacific. The company is hoping that its promise of limited ecological disruption will give it added appeal. Competitors, like The Metals Company, use giant machines that roll along the seabed and suck up the nodules, a highly controversial technique. Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told AFP this method scoops up ocean floor using collectors or excavators, "a bit like bulldozers," he explained. Everything is then brought up to ships, where the nodules are separated from waste, which is tossed back into the ocean. This creates large plumes of sediment and toxins with a multitude of potential impacts, he said. A less invasive approach, like that advocated by Impossible Metals, would reduce the risk of environmental damage, McCauley explained. But he noted lighter-touch harvesting is not without risk. The nodules themselves also harbor living organisms, and removing them even with a selective technique, involves destroying the habitat, he said. Impossible Metals admits its technology cannot detect microscopic life, but the company claims to have a policy of leaving 60 percent of the nodules untouched. McCauley is unconvinced, explaining "ecosystems in the deep ocean are especially fragile and sensitive." "Life down there moves very slowly, so they reproduce very slowly, they grow very slowly." Duncan Currie of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said it was impossible to assess the impact of any deep sea harvesting. "We don't know enough yet either in terms of the biodiversity and the ecosystem down there," he told AFP. According to the international scientific initiative Ocean Census, only 250,000 species are known, out of the two million that are estimated to populate the oceans. High demand Mining is "always going to have some impact," said Impossible Metals chief executive and co-founder Oliver Gunasekara, who has spent most of his career in the semiconductor field. But, he added, "we need a lot more critical minerals, as we want to electrify everything." Illustrating the global rush toward underwater mining, Impossible Metals has raised US$15 million from investors to build and test a first series of its Eureka 3 robot in 2026. The commercial version will be the size of a shipping container and will expand from three to 16 arms, and its battery will grow from 14 to nearly 200 kilowatt-hours. The robot will be fully autonomous and self-propel, without cables or tethers to the surface, and be equipped with sensors. While awaiting the US green light, the company hopes to finalize its technology within two to three years, conduct ocean tests, build a fleet, and operate through partnerships elsewhere in the world.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
In Canada lake, robot learns to mine without disrupting marine life
A close-up view of the robotic arm of the Eureka II, a robotic underwater vehicle of Impossible Metals in Collingwood, Ontario, on May 1. PHOTO: AFP In Canada lake, robot learns to mine without disrupting marine life COLLINGWOOD, Canada - Three robotic arms extended under the water in a Canadian lake, delicately selecting pebbles from the bed, before storing them back inside the machine. The exercise was part of a series of tests the robot was undergoing before planned deployment in the ocean, where its operators hope the machine can transform the search for the world's most sought-after metals. The robot was made by Impossible Metals, a company founded in California in 2020, which says it is trying to develop technology that allows the seabed to be harvested with limited ecological disruption. Conventional underwater harvesting involves scooping up huge amounts of material in search of potato-sized things called poly-metallic nodules. These nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt, or other metals needed for electric vehicle batteries, among other key products. Impossible Metals' co-founder Jason Gillham told AFP his company's robot looks for the nodules 'in a selective way.' The prototype, being tested in the province of Ontario, remains stationary in the water, hovering over the lake bottom. In a lab, company staff monitor the yellow robot on screens, using what looks like a video game console to direct its movements. Using lights, cameras and artificial intelligence, the robot tries to identify the sought-after nodules while leaving aquatic life – such as octopuses' eggs, coral, or sponges – undisturbed. 'A bit like bulldozers' In a first for the nascent sector, Impossible Metals has requested a permit from US President Donald Trump to use its robot in American waters around Samoa, in the Pacific. The company is hoping that its promise of limited ecological disruption will give it added appeal. Competitors, like The Metals Company, use giant machines that roll along the seabed and suck up the nodules, a highly controversial technique. Dr Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told AFP this method scoops up ocean floor using collectors or excavators, 'a bit like bulldozers', he explained. Everything is then brought up to ships, where the nodules are separated from waste, which is tossed back into the ocean. This creates large plumes of sediment and toxins with a multitude of potential impacts, he said. A less invasive approach, like that advocated by Impossible Metals, would reduce the risk of environmental damage, Dr McCauley explained. But he noted lighter-touch harvesting is not without risk. The nodules themselves also harbor living organisms, and removing them even with a selective technique, involves destroying the habitat, he said. Impossible Metals admits its technology cannot detect microscopic life, but the company claims to have a policy of leaving 60 per cent of the nodules untouched. Dr McCauley is unconvinced, explaining 'ecosystems in the deep ocean are especially fragile and sensitive.' 'Life down there moves very slowly, so they reproduce very slowly, they grow very slowly.' Mr Duncan Currie of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said it was impossible to assess the impact of any deep sea harvesting. 'We don't know enough yet either in terms of the biodiversity and the ecosystem down there,' he told AFP. According to the international scientific initiative Ocean Census, only 250,000 species are known, out of the two million that are estimated to populate the oceans. High demand Mining is 'always going to have some impact,' said Impossible Metals chief executive and co-founder Oliver Gunasekara, who has spent most of his career in the semiconductor field. But, he added, 'we need a lot more critical minerals, as we want to electrify everything.' Illustrating the global rush toward underwater mining, Impossible Metals has raised US$15 million ($19.3 million) from investors to build and test a first series of its Eureka 3 robot in 2026. The commercial version will be the size of a shipping container and will expand from three to 16 arms, and its battery will grow from 14 to nearly 200 kilowatt-hours. The robot will be fully autonomous and self-propel, without cables or tethers to the surface, and be equipped with sensors. While awaiting the US green light, the company hopes to finalise its technology within two to three years, conduct ocean tests, build a fleet, and operate through partnerships elsewhere in the world. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
