The company behind the resurrection of tin mining in Cornwall, England, is making good progress to return the South Crofty mine to production in 2026.
Cornish Metals CEO Richard Williams reported on Monday that the Aim- and TSX-V-listed company would commission the mine water treatment plant (MWTP) in June this year, followed by full-scale dewatering operations in July.
At a design rate of 25 000 m3 a day, the MWTP will take about 18 months to dewater the historic mine.
In addition to the mine dewatering programme, Cornish Metals is continuing with metallurgical, feasibility study and exploration work, Williams reported.
As part of the ongoing feasibility study, the company has retained the services of Mike Hallewell, the former mill superintendent and chief metallurgist at South Crofty and Wheal Jane, to assist in the collection of a representative metallurgical sample and advise on certain studies.
South Crofty, which has a history of 400 years of mining, has the potential to be one of the biggest tin producers globally and could supply the needs of the UK market in its entirety.
There is currently no primary mine production of tin in Europe or North America and the metal has been designated as a mineral critical to economic and national security by the US.