The aim is to develop an autonomous and adaptive steering system for seabed nodule mining. The system shall determine the most operationally and environmentally efficient mining path seabed mining vehicle (MV), while guaranteeing safe execution, integrating forecasted hydrodynamic and sediment transport data, optimal maneuverability and production efficiency. Dynamic responses of the surface operation vessel (SOV) and the riser that connect the MV to the SOV will be included. To provide the system with the necessary data, a conceptual environmental monitoring strategy (CEMS), based on AUV surveys of targeted mining areas shall be developed. Beside bathymetrical data and indications on the quantity of the resource, the CEMS can predict the environmental impact of the planned operations.
COMPASS is funded by the MarTERA partners Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and co-funded by the European Union.
Coordinator
Tony van Driel, Global Sea Mineral Resources NV, Belgium
Consortium
Global Sea Mineral Resources NV, Large scale enterprise, Belgium
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Research institute, Germany
Saltation GmbH & Co. KG, SME, Germany