Economic Feasibility Impacts Of Waste And Waste Water Treatment Regulations For Deep Ocean Hydrothermal Ore Mining in Japan

Development of deep ocean hydrothermal poly-metallic ore mining is a highly anticipated industry in Japan to increase self-sufficiency of metals and bring economic benefits, however there are many issues still to be clarified, including waste disposal and its economic feasibility impact. This paper examines the current applicable regulations in Japan to understand what the potential barriers and problem waste elements may be. The results show that waste water treatment under three different sets of regulations may require at least 99.9% removal of As, Hg and suspended solids from the slurry before it is released.