Dream of reopening Cornish tin mine takes major step forward

A major step has been taken in bringing a Cornish tin mine back into operation.

Tungsten West, the owner and operator of the Hemerdon tungsten and tin mine has announced that it has received a draft permit from the Environment Agency for the operation of the Mineral Processing Facility  at Hemerdon.

The draft permit is currently undergoing internal review to ensure all aspects are aligned with the operational requirements of the facility.

Following this review and the finalisation of the documentation, a public consultation will be held where the Environment Agency will identify that they are ‘minded to’ grant this permit.

This is the final step before the Environment Agency can issue the permit

The receipt of the draft permit represents a significant step in securing further financing for the project and is the gateway for commencement of the updated Feasibility Study, which the company predicts will lead into the main financing round.

Neil Gawthorpe, CEO of Tungsten West, said: “I am delighted to confirm receipt of the draft permit for the MPF, which represents a major step-forward in our goal of bringing Hemerdon back into production by the end of 2025, providing an ethical and sustainable domestic supply of critical minerals.

“I would like to thank the team at the Environment Agency for working closely with the company and its consultants throughout 2023 to deliver this draft, and we look forward to progressing this process timeously through to a permit.”