Offshore installation and construction company Allseas which is working to get into the subsea mining business, has awarded a contract to Strohm to deliver a composite jumper for its in deepsea mining technology.
Last year, Allseas announced it acquired an ultra-deepwater drillship to be converted into a subsea mining vessel, as the offshore contractor aims to develop advanced deepwater equipment to recover polymetallic nodules from the seabed at depths of 4,000 - 6,500m.
Key metals such as cobalt and nickel required for renewable energy technologies and electric vehicle batteries are in increasingly high demand as the world gets behind the energy transition, Strohm said.
Strohm, until recently known as Airborne Oil & Gas, said the contract with Allseas was the first time Strohm’s Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) solution will be used in a deepsea mining application.
Under the agreement, Strohm will provide Allseas with a spoolable TCP Jumper to connect the seabed vehicle to the vertical transport system.
According to Strohm, TCP is 80% lighter in weight compared to its metallic equivalents reducing the need for buoyancy, which is an important benefit for deepsea mining activities.
"[...]TCP is fitted with an abrasion resistant liner which provides a distinct advantage over short, flanged rubber-based pipes typically deployed for slurry transport operations. The jumper’s inner bore is also extremely smooth, and its strong composite wall provides good collapse resistance while maintaining sufficient flexibility," Strohm added.
Oliver Kassam, Strohm CEO, said: “We are extremely pleased to secure this contract with Allseas. The appeal of TCP to this sector underlines its versatility and suitability compared to steel-reinforced, rubber alternatives, increasing the company’s growth potential further across the energy transition.
“For this project, TCP’s lower carbon credentials are in tandem with the overarching strategy to impose minimum impact on the environment. Our technology is proven to reduce the CO2 footprint of pipeline infrastructures by more than 50% and is completely impervious to corrosion making it a sustainable solution with a long lifecycle. TCP was first implemented by the oil and gas sector in 2007, and we have enjoyed zero failures to date making it an extremely reliable technology; it is also completely recyclable.”