Lithisea extracts critical battery metals like cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese from polymetallic nodules using autonomous underwater vehicles and proprietary bio-extraction techniques. This sustainable process significantly reduces CO2 emissions and eliminates solid waste, providing a high-purity supply for EV battery and renewable energy storage manufacturers.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
The global demand for critical battery metals like cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese is rapidly increasing, driven by the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. Traditional mining methods often have significant environmental footprints, including high CO2 emissions and substantial waste generation.
Solution
Lithisea addresses this challenge by developing a sustainable deep-sea resource extraction and refining process. The company utilizes autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) designed for operation at extreme ocean depths to harvest polymetallic nodules. These nodules are then processed using proprietary bio-extraction techniques, which leverage specific bacterial strains to liberate metals into solution. This approach significantly reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 90% compared to conventional methods and eliminates solid processing waste. Lithisea's technology provides a high-purity, environmentally responsible source of essential battery metals.
Target Audience
Lithisea targets manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy storage systems, and other industries requiring a sustainable and high-purity supply of critical battery metals.
Features
- Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) engineered for deep-sea operation at depths up to 4500 meters.
- Robotic systems integrated with advanced monitoring for precise seafloor nodule harvesting.
- Bio-extraction process utilizing bacterial strains for metal liberation, reducing reliance on harsh chemicals and high temperatures.
- Refinement of high-purity cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese.
- Significantly reduced CO2 emissions (estimated 90% less than conventional methods).
- Zero solid processing waste generated during the refining stages.
- Adherence to UN sustainability goals and commitment to comprehensive scientific research for responsible operations.