A Simulation-Based Approach to Design a Dry Bulk Transshipment Terminal for Polymetallic Nodule Collection

Abstract

There is a growing demand of various metals originating from the sustainable energy transition. The current supply and investments plans for these critical minerals are insufficient to enable this green energy transition. Other problems are the dependency of third countries and multiple drawbacks of land-mining. Deep-sea mining could be a great outcome, by collection of nodules on the seabed in the CCZ area. Different mining trials have been executed, but large-scale mining has not started yet. So far, there is no design guideline for a polymetallic nodule dry bulk (transshipment) terminal. The design and construction phase for a dry bulk terminal takes several years, therefore, the design of such a terminal should be investigated. This thesis will focus on the design of a transshipment terminal to accommodate these large-scale mining activities in the future. The logistics and location determination of this terminal are also taken into account. The thesis contains a case-study which is formed in collaboration with Allseas. For this case-study, the simulation-based approach is chosen to design the transshipment terminal. This approach integrates many stochastic variations, identifies bottlenecks, and allows for sensitivity analysis or ’what if’ scenarios. This method was compared to traditional design methods that rely on rules of thumb and practical experiences.