Development of Mining System for Deep-sea Mineral Resources with Low Environmental Impact

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K05351
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 31020:Earth resource engineering, Energy sciences-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: SASAOKA TAKASHI 九州大学, 工学研究院, 准教授 (20444862)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 島田 英樹 九州大学, 工学研究院, 教授 (70253490)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 海洋底鉱物資源 / 環境低負荷型採掘システム / 海洋底被覆材 / 吸引採掘 / 環境影響評価

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, due to the increasing demand for energy and mineral resources, resources such as methane hydrate and rare-earth endowed on the sea floor have been attracting attention. However, resource development on the sea floor entails various difficulties, and once an accident occurs, it can cause enormous damage to the environment. Therefore, in this research, as a measure to suppress the environmental disturbance caused by the development of seafloor resources, the seafloor is covered with a seafloor sealant during resource development, and mining is performed while suppressing the diffusion of harmful elements deposited on the seafloor. In addition to proposing a seafloor mineral resource mining system, the development of necessary covering materials and the construction guidelines for this mining system are discussed.

Free Research Field

資源開発

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

海洋底鉱物資源開発において材料および採掘手法の両視点から環境負荷の低減に着目した研究は乏しく、特に産業副産物の適用については皆無である。材料開発～実証実験の検討過程で得られる水圧による材料特性が変化するメカニズムの解明や被覆技術の研究開発成果は、産業副産物を有効利用した環境低負荷型の海洋底鉱物資源採掘を可能にするだけでなく、海洋底構造物や月面都市の建設技術やCO2の海底貯留構想における被覆材などへ適用できる可能性がある。