Green Manganese Technologies says its hydrometallurgical process recovered over 90% of manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper while using up to five times less energy.
Green Manganese Technologies has completed initial metallurgical testing of a hydrometallurgical process designed to recover multiple critical metals from polymetallic nodules through a single, integrated circuit. The company reported simultaneous recovery of more than 90% for manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper.
Green Manganese said the process could consume up to five times less energy than conventional processing by bypassing Submerged Arc Furnaces (SAF), electrolysis, and multi-phase converting steps used in multi-stage pyrometallurgical flowsheets.
The nodules contain nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese, making them relevant to battery, electronics, and defence supply chains. Conventional processing typically involves sequential calcining and smelting to separate a nickel-copper-cobalt alloy from manganese silicate slag. Green Manganese instead selectively dissolves manganese minerals, releasing associated metals into a unified process solution.
The process also converts iron minerals into hematite, potentially creating additional value streams for iron, titanium, and rare earth elements while simplifying downstream handling.
“What makes polymetallic nodules so compelling is that several critical metals are concentrated in a single rock,” said Alexey Demykin, CEO, Green Manganese Technologies.
Demykin said the integrated circuit bypasses energy-intensive thermal stages, offering a low-emission pathway to multiple high-value products.
The company said the results provide a basis for further pilot-scale testing and commercial collaboration. However, the results remain at the initial metallurgical testing stage and do not yet demonstrate commercial-scale production.
