Feasibility study on manganese nodules recovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

The sea occupies three quarters of the area on the earth and provides various kinds of resources to mankind in the form of minerals, food, medicines and even energy. “Seabed exploitation” specifically deals with recovery of the resources that are found on the seabed, in the form of solids, liquids and gasses (methane hydrates, oil and natural gas). The resources are abundant; nevertheless the recovery process from the seabed, poses various challenges to mankind. This study starts with a review on three types of resources: polymetallic manganese nodules, polymetallic manganese crusts and massive sulphides deposits. Each of them are rich in minerals, such as manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper and some rare earth elements. They are found at many locations in the deep seas and are potentially a big source of minerals. No commercial seabed mining activity has been accomplished to date due to the great complexities in recovery. This book describes the various challenges associated with a potential underwater mineral recovery operation, reviews and analyses the existing recovery techniques, and provides an innovative engineering system. It further identifies the associated risks and a suitable business model.Chapter 1 presents a brief background about the past and present industrial trends of seabed mining. A description of the sea, seabed and the three types of seabed mineral resources are also included. A section on motivations for deep sea mining follows which also compares the latter with terrestrial mining.Chapter 2 deals with the decision making process, including a market analysis, for selecting manganese nodules as the resource of interest. This is followed by a case study specific to the location of interest: West COMRA in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Specific site location is determined in order to estimate commercial risk, environmental impact assessment and logistic challenge.Chapter 3 lists the existing techniques for nodule recovery operation. The study identifies the main components of a nodules recovery system, and organizes them into: collector, propulsion and vertical transport systems.Chapter 4 discusses various challenges posed by manganese nodules recovery, in terms of the engineering and environment. The geo-political and legal-social issues have also been considered. This chapter plays an important role in defining the proposed engineering system, as addressing the identified challenges will better shape the proposed solution.Chapter 5 proposes an engineering system, by considering the key components in greater details. An innovative component, the black box is introduced, which is intended to be an environmentally-friendly solution for manganese nodules recovery. Other auxiliary components, such as the mother ship and metallurgical processing, are briefly included. A brief power supply analysis is also provided.Chapter 6 assesses the associated risks, which are divided into sections namely commercial viability, logistic challenges, environmental impact assessment and safety assessment. The feasibility of the proposed solution is also dealt with.Chapter 7 provides a business model for the proposed engineering system. Potential customers are identified, value proposition is determined, costumer relation is also suggested. Public awareness is then discussed and finally a SWOT analysis is presented. This business model serves as an important bridge to reach both industry and research institutes.Finally, Chapter 8 provides some conclusions and recommendation for future work

Energy benefit assessment of a Water Loop Heat Pump system integrated with a CO2 commercial refrigeration unit

The improvement of energy efficiency and the use of environmentally friendly working fluids are key elements of current European policies. Supermarkets are intensive energy consumers and approximately the 40% of their annual energy consumption is for refrigeration. Direct emissions of greenhouse gases associated with the use of high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, and the indirect impact on the environment related to high electrical energy consumption, make shopping malls not sustainable buildings. This paper analyses the energy saving potential of integrated supermarket air conditioning and refrigeration systems using a Water Loop Heat Pump system (WLHP), where a water loop is used as a heat source/sink for a number of electric reversible heat pumps which provide climate control on the thermal zones. A basic CO2 booster commercial refrigeration system, applied to cold rooms and display cabinets, is considered. Heat recovery from the refrigeration circuit is performed in the heating season, while in the cooling season a dry cooler on the water loop allows heat rejection to outdoors. A comprehensive model of a commercial building, HVAC and refrigeration integrated systems is presented. The building and all systems are modelled in the Trnsys environment taking into account the hourly weather data, the simulated daily profiles of the cooling and heating load demand and the request from refrigerated food storage equipment. Such a model allows a thorough understanding of the potential for energy savings with heat recovery solutions. This work is developed in the framework of CommONEnergy, an EU project funded by the European Community within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) that aims at reducing energy consumption in shopping malls

Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy: Policy and Guidelines

The harvest strategy policy and associated implementation guidelines was developed by the Australian Government in 2007. The aim was to ensure that key commercial fish species are managed for long -- term biological sustainability and economic profitability. It also seeks to provide the fishing industry with a more certain operating environment. The harvest strategy policy provides a framework that allows a strategic, science -- based approach to setting total allowable catch levels in all Commonwealth fisheries on a fishery by fishery basis. The implementation guidelines provide practical advice on how to interpret and apply the harvest strategy policy to Australia's fisheries and contain details of the science behind the fisheries management decisions. After the policy was issued in September 2007, the then minister required the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to implement harvest strategies in all relevant Commonwealth fisheries by January 2008

Towards A regional resources strategy consultation

Report produced for emda to inform the agency's input into regional Waste and Resources Strategies. Reviews policy context, available data and views from key stakeholders

Towards a breakthrough in nutrient recycling : State-of-the-art and recommendations for developing policy instruments in Finland

The report has been complemented on 11.9.2018This report describes the state-of-the-art in phosphorus and nitrogen recycling in Finland and looks at basic data on the volumes and geographical distribution of biomasses and their nutrients. Based on this data, the report makes proposals for measures aiming to promote nutrient recycling. This report was prepared collaboratively by experts at the institutions making up the Finnish Partnership for Research on Natural Resources and the Environment (LYNET) to underpin a national action plan on nutrient recycling. Of all sectors in Finland, agriculture is the largest user and recycler of phosphorus and nitrogen. Different biomasses contain an annual total of approximately 26,000 t of recyclable phosphorus, which exceeds the fertilisation needs of grasslands and cereal crops in the entire area of Finland. The volume of nitrogen contained in biomasses is approximately 95,000 t. Still, approx. 11,000 t of phosphorus and 152,000 t of nitrogen are annually used in Finland as conventional inorganic fertilisers. There is a regional imbalance between manure production and crop nutrient requirements. The breakthrough in nutrient recycling means increased implementation of manure processing, thus making manure nutrients easier to transport and reducing the use of conventional inorganic fertilisers. At minimum 20% of the entire volume of manure generated in Finland will require advanced processing to enable long-distance transport of the manure phosphorus to areas in need of it. This requires separation of water. The highest demand for advanced processing is experienced in the regions of Ostrobothnia (approx. 60% at minimum), South Ostrobothnia and Satakunta (approx. 30 %) and Southwest Finland (13%). In the agricultural sector, fertilisation is currently guided by a wide array of different policy instruments, which make up an incoherent and unstructured whole. The instruments cause considerable amounts of regulatory burden, but appear to do little to promote sustainable nutrient recycling. This report proposes a total reform of the policy instruments to boost the recycling of nutrients. All legal standards related to fertilisation should be merged into a single statute, for example by developing the Nitrate Decree. At the same time, the current policy that controls nutrient use via the EU agri-environmental scheme should be abandoned, and the role of the environmental permit for livestock installations and its relationship with general regulatory instruments be clarified. A field plot specific nutrient database should be created to support guidance. The knowledge base of nutrient recycling should be developed by creating and maintaining a comprehensive data system on the quantities, properties and locations of nutrient-rich biomasses and ashes and their current processing methods. The report also proposes setting regional processing targets for livestock manure. Key objectives should include reducing excessive fertilisation in crop production. The goal of normative guidance should be nutrient use according to the crop needs.201

Governments Don't Have to Go It Alone: Leveraging Public Funds to Attract Commercial Finance for Improved Water Services

This brief highlights the roles that governments can play and the mechanisms they can use to attract commercial finance into the water sector. The brief illustrates successful cases where water service providers accessed commercial financing to expand coverage, often to serve poor areas. Common constraints to commercial finance in the water sector are summarized, as are financial structuring and risk mitigation strategies to overcome these constraints

Bridging the Equity Gap: Driving Community Health Outcomes Through the Green Jobs Movement

The fundamental link between poverty and health mandates a new approach to both, one capable of raising community health standards by lifting individuals, families and communities out of poverty.Merely providing access to healthcare does not address fundamental societal inequities that translate into greater health risks and more extensive exposure to environmental hazards for low-income communities and communities of color -- risks aggravated by climate change.In Bridging the Equity Gap: Driving Community Health Outcomes Through the Green Jobs Movement, Green For All makes the case that the Green Jobs Movement -- a broad, progressive coalition of environmental and health advocates, social justice and civil rights organizations, labor and community-based groups, and business -- can bring about a systems change to improve economic, environmental and health conditions for low-income communities

A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent

The magnitude of the food waste problem is difficult to comprehend. The U.S. spends $218 billion a year -- 1.3% of GDP -- growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten. The causes of food waste are diverse, ranging from crops that never get harvested, to food left on overfilled plates, to near-expired milk and stale bread. ReFED is a coalition of over 30 business, nonprofit, foundation, and government leaders committed to building a different future, where food waste prevention, recovery, and recycling are recognized as an untapped opportunity to create jobs, alleviate hunger, and protect the environment -- all while stimulating a new multi-billion dollar market opportunity. ReFED developed A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste as a data-driven guide to collectively take action to reduce food waste at scale nationwide.This Roadmap report is a guide and a call to action for us to work together to solve this problem. Businesses can save money for themselves and their customers. Policymakers can unleash a new wave of local job creation. Foundations can take a major step in addressing environmental issues and hunger. And innovators across all sectors can launch new products, services, and business models. There will be no losers, only winners, as food finds its way to its highest and best use