ChatGPT generated scene showing the gap between AUV fleet concepts and real world deepwater constraints, with defunct AUVs on the seafloor under operational ones.
I was pleased to be asked to complete the technoeconomic assessment of seabed mining by the National Ocean Protection Coalition and to join the webinar discussing its results. It is not often that I have the opportunity to bring together decades of work in complex systems analysis, technology readiness, and … [continued]
A team searches for seaweed samples on the shore of Moira Bay, Alaska. Photo by Stefanie Van Wychen, NREL.
Some Seaweeds Accumulate Critical Minerals. NREL Scientists Are Studying Which Ones Do It Best Seaweed: the phyto(mining) frontier? Puns aside, seaweed is emerging as a surprising mining source. NREL chemist Stefanie Van Wychen and a team of five departed Juneau, Alaska, on an early spring—and surprisingly green—April morning. The crew … [continued]
chatgpt generated: Split-screen panorama contrasting costly, delayed nuclear projects on the left with wind turbines, interconnectors, and batteries powering a clean future on the right
Canada has put a stake in the ground by deciding which megaprojects are now officially in the national interest. Out of an initial list of 32 candidates I analysed recently, five made the cut. That is a small number on paper, but the financial and climate commitments stretch out for … [continued]
A geologist and geophysicist at Talon examine high-grade nickel core samples from the company’s exploration operations in Minnesota. (Image by Talon Metals.)
By Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director for Emobility and Supply Chains at T&E, and Tommy Pratama, Executive Director for Traction Energy Asia Indonesia is big when it comes to the new race to secure minerals and cleantech. With some of the world’s largest reserves of metals like nickel and cobalt, the country is fuelling … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a warehouse filled with labeled barrels of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements, with shipping containers branded “LIT,” “REMX,” and “BATT” lined up for export
The world is electrifying at an accelerating pace, and while solar panels and wind turbines grab most of the headlines, the real power behind the transition lies buried in rocks and embedded in chemistry. Batteries and the critical minerals that go into them are the plumbing of the clean energy … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a cracked American flag made of silicon wafers, fiber optic cables, and EV batteries—all splintering at the rare earth seams
In April 2025, while most of the world was clutching pearls over trade war tit-for-tat tariffs, China calmly walked over to the supply chain and yanked out a handful of critical bolts. The bolts are made of dysprosium, terbium, tungsten, indium and yttrium—the elements that don’t make headlines but without … [continued]
Michaux has so many compounding mistakes that it’s remarkable anyone takes him remotely seriously. But, of course, he is telling a story a lot of people want to hear.
The U.S. Geological Survey will invest more than $5.8 million to map critical-mineral resources in Alaska in partnership with the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. This partnership is a key step in securing a reliable and sustainable supply of the critical minerals that are essential to everything from … [continued]
That’s up from $5 billion in 2021.
Recently, DeepGreen penned an open letter to BMW, Volvo, Google, and other brands about the importance of seafloor minerals and approached extraction cautiously with an exacting commitment to science-based impact analysis and environmental protection. I also interviewed DeepGreen’s CEO, Gerard Barron, via email last year. Yesterday, I had the pleasure … [continued]
