Sustainability

The shift to clean energy systems requires a substantial increase in the volume of critical minerals in use. Deep sea minerals should play an important role in contributing as a raw material in the transition to a circular economy.

Knowing that more minerals must be deployed, we must choose where the new minerals should come from. Saying no to marine minerals means saying yes to new land-based mines, and to all the associated social and environmental impacts.

At Glomar Minerals, we believe we can responsibly explore and subsequently extract deep sea minerals utilizing ultra low environmental impact technologies. We believe in combining a stepwise development plan with comprehensive baseline studies and continuous monitoring of the environment to achieve best-in-class sustainability standards.

Mitigating ESG risks

Act to minimize and mitigate potential impacts on the environment and recognize that deep seabed mining is an area that requires a particularly sensitive environmental approach.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

  • Explore and develop most prospective parts and avoid vulnerable areas
  • Implement enabling minimum plume technology for mineral collection
  • Energy efficient mining – production and cargo vessels powered by decarbonized fuel
  • Transfer of HSE experience from offshore oil and gas industry – ensure that HSE is an integral part of all operations

BASELINE, MONITORING, AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT

  • Minimize environmental impacts in the exploration, development, and production phase
  • Regularly check, review, and assess the environmental effects
  • High quality work secured by in-house knowledge and expert advisors

EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY

  • Develop and apply efficient tools for resource and environmental mapping using AUV/ROV technology
  • Environmental mapping will be incorporated into the exploration technology and performed together with resource mapping

SEABED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

  • Develop minimum plume technology, incl. no sediment returns from production vessel
  • Minimum seabed disturbance
  • Minimize footprint from collector
  • No deep-water light pollution

PROCESSING

  • Uniquely, uniform ore quality and enrichment promotes collaboration of cost-efficient and sustainable processing value chain
  • Careful selection of offtake process aiming for minimum energy consumption and environmental impact
  • New value chain will reduce geo-political risk of supply
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HUMAN RIGHTS, ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE

  • Provide safe, healthy, and secure working conditions
  • Apply the highest standard of business ethics
  • Ensure compliance in all aspects of our operations
  • Assure accuracy and transparency in our communication

Sustainability through technology

Glomar is introducing a number of innovative technologies. The remote geographic location, abyssal depths, and environmental considerations pose significant challenges to polymetallic nodule harvesting. We believe that the optimal solution relies on the transfer of technology, experience, and culture from over 40 years of deep sea research, extraction, and maritime industries, and partly development of new technologies to assist with research and mitigation of potential environmental impacts.

Glomar’s end-to-end technology approach involves all phases, from  exploration and research to harvesting, extration, and processing using the highest ESG standard with a minimal  social, environmental,  and carbon footprint. Technological concepts are based on the experience and an extensive track-record from pioneering zero-emission approaches in related industries. One example includes the «Minimum Plume Nodule Collector», which utilizes robotic fingers to lift individual nodules out of the sediment while minimizing the disturbance to seabed.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Glomar’s core business of delivering minerals for the green transition contributes directly to and supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Glomar has identified four SDGs, where we consider our business of having the largest potential for a positive contribution, as the company’s strategic SDGs.

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Increasing substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Reducing GHG emissions