TMC Stock Soars After Historic Polymetallic Nodule Reserve Reveal

If you ever imagined that treasure hunts were the sole domain of pirates then think again, Wall Street has just discovered its new spot buried deep under the ocean. This Monday, TMC, the metals company, witnessed an 11% rise after its deep sea mining innovation reported the world’s first ever declaration of mineral reserve for polymetallic nodules.

This along with two economic assessments of the value of its seabed projects collectively positions it at $23.6 billion. It gives TMC the lead into what many believe could be a transformative frontier in the mining and clean energy supply chain. For an industry widely described as speculative, TMC just planted a billion-dollar presenter of legitimacy.

Leading the Deep-Sea Resource

In a historic step, TMC came out with a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for its lead NORI-D Project, setting an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV) of $5.5 billion and a 27% Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The study represents a first ever mineral reserve statement for a polymetallic nodule project in the world, projecting 51 million tonnes of probable reserves over a seabed region endowed with key minerals.

At the same time, an Initial Assessment for the larger NORI and TOML areas revealed an additional $18.1 billion in NPV and an estimated IRR of 36%. This further supports the commercial value of TMC’s entire seabed portfolio. Collectively, these findings support the company’s increasing value proposition and its increasing position in guaranteeing electric vehicles and green technologies’ mineral supply chains.

Production Potential

TMC’s production horizon is really ambitious. When the steady state production commences in 2031, the company expects to recover 10.8 million tonnes of wet nodules every year, with a strategic blend of minerals critical to the energy transition. Annually it will yield Nickel, 97 kilotonnes, Manganese, 2,389 kilotonnes, Copper. 70 kilotonnes, and Cobalt, 7.4 kilotonnes.

With commercial production scheduled for Q4 2027, focused on permitting, the numbers situate TMC as a viable basis of the worldwide drive towards clean energy infrastructure, electric vehicle battery production, and strategic mineral self-sufficiency.

Regulatory Advancement and Capital-Light Plan

This recent interest from investors comes after TMC USA filed a formal request in April 2025 under the U.S Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act for a commercial recovery permit. In addition, the company applied for two new exploration permits to increase its operations in foreign waters. TMC seeks to maintain slim costs by using a capital-light model, tapping into existing offshore ships and onshore processing plants. Importantly, the company will utilize rotary kiln electric furnace (RKEF) technology in Japan and Indonesia. It is a process already demonstrated in nickel laterite refining, thereby avoiding the need to build completely new refining plants in the early stages.

New Age for Minerals

As governments around the globe rush to lock up reliable sources of critical battery metals, TMC’s news comes at a pivotal time. The company’s claims in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which is rich in resources, could cut dependence on conventional mining centers and provide a more scalable, controlled environmental alternative to onshore extraction. Despite persistent concerns regarding the environmental and regulatory structures that will govern deep-sea mining, TMC’s evidence based, and step by step methodology has drawn interest from institutional investors. Once implemented successfully, the project may be one of the most influential mining projects of the decade.

Strategic Investment

With its shares rising and its valuation story changing quickly, TMC is no longer simply a speculative deep-sea prospect, it’s becoming a serious contender in the future of mineral supply. Through risking the world’s first reserves of polymetallic nodules and establishing clear economic feasibility, TMC has taken a first-mover position in a market that is poised to be at the center of the clean energy revolution.

The next turning point is in permitting and deployment. With trusted partners, tested technology, and an estimated value of billions, TMC’s narrative is turning from high-risk curiosity to high-reward potential, and investors are beginning to sit up and take notice. Nevertheless, TMC’s journey is hardly half-done. Regulatory waters are still rough, environmental issues might deepen, and true proof will come from profitable and sustainable production.

That being said, their capital-light model, dependence on established processing infrastructure, and increasing geopolitical significance indicates that TMC might be more than a one-wave sensation. If the company can deliver even a piece of its grand vision, it may redefine how the world perceives supply chains and sovereignty in the age of clean energy. For now, investors should look to the broad horizon, because far beneath the surface, something is tremendous.