Bhubaneswar: The International Seabed Authority (ISA) training programme on deep sea minerals commenced at SS Bhatnagar Hall of CSIRInstitute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIRIMMT) here, Monday. The two-week programme, from October 13 to 26, was inaugurated by CSIR-IMMT director Ramanuj Narayan, in the presence of Hydro and Electrometallurgy department head Kali Sanjay, and Administrative Officer PK Dash, along with distinguished participants and guests. Narayan highlighted the significance of seabed resources, stating, “The minerals are critical for industries, especially in the clean energy sector, as they contain essential elements like nickel, cobalt, and tellurium.”
He underscored CSIR-IMMT’s role in advancing extraction technologies in collaboration with the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).“India, through MoES, holds exploration contracts with the ISA for over 75,000 sq km of polymetallic nodules and 10,000 sq km of polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean. The development of advanced extraction technologies is crucial to meet future demands,” Narayan said. He also expressed pride in CSIR-IMMT’s contributions, stating, “Our institute has made significant advancements across various fields, and the potential for science is limitless.” The programme includes 15 international participants from countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, and Jamaica. Experts from CSIR-IMMT, the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) are the part of session.
