Offshore energy specialist Allseas is in the process of converting its 228 m-long drillship Hidden Gem into its first polymetallic nodule production vessel.
Hidden Gem is now undergoing key modifications in Rotterdam. Works include installation of the vessel’s launch and recovery (LARS) system. Allseas’ engineers designed the system to safely deploy and control the 12 m nodule collector vehicle as it moves across the seabed 5 km below the surface.
Lying on the ocean floor, polymetallic nodules are rich in critical metals required for energy storage and renewables technologies.
