The Pioneer II prototype has successfully descended to depths of over 4,000 meters during testing, successfully collecting more than 200 kg of various deep-sea minerals.
Heavy-Duty Deep-Sea Mining Vehicle from China has completed testing at depths exceeding 4,000 meters, marking a significant breakthrough in the country’s deep-sea mineral resource technology. The Shanghai city government announced on July 9 that the prototype vehicle participating in the trials is named Pioneer II, developed independently by Shanghai Jiaotong University.
Heavy-duty deep-sea mining vehicle Pioneer II. (Photo: Shanghai Jiaotong University/Xinhua)
The Pioneer II has completed five dives and seabed mining operations, including a record-breaking dive to a depth of 4,102.8 meters, marking the first time a Chinese heavy-duty deep-sea mining vehicle has operated at depths exceeding 4,000 meters. The prototype vehicle pioneers several innovations, including the ability to maneuver flexibly over complex seabed terrains, drill, and extract various types of deep-sea minerals.
Additionally, Pioneer II is equipped with an environmental monitoring system that helps to comprehensively monitor and assess the impact of factors such as the material plume stirred up during deep-sea mining and the noise generated during underwater operations.
Deep-sea mineral samples collected by the heavy-duty mining vehicle Pioneer II. (Photo: Shanghai Jiaotong University/Xinhua)
During the oceanic testing process, Pioneer II completed one dive each day for five consecutive days from June 22 to 26 in the western Pacific Ocean, collecting over 200 kg of various deep-sea minerals, according to Yang Jianmin, a professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University and the chief scientist of the project. He also noted that deep-sea mineral resources are typically found at depths between 2,000 and 6,000 meters.
The success of this new testing is a solid step forward for China’s deep-sea exploration activities, according to Lin Zhongqin and Li Jiabiao, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Li Maolin, director of a national laboratory for deep-sea mineral resources. Experts believe that Pioneer II will help promote deep-sea scientific research, resource exploration, and environmental protection.
