Cornish Metals Inc. has announced that it has begun wet commissioning of its newly constructed Mine Water Treatment Plant (MWTP) at the South Crofty Tin Project in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The MWTP is designed to treat 25,000m3/day of water pumped directly from the South Crofty Mine and uses the High Density Sludge (HDS) process technology to meet the company's permitted standards for discharge into the nearby Red River. The commissioning process will involve filling the reaction tanks with water, testing the motor and control circuits, and treating the water to allow a bed of thickened sludge to build up within the plant. Full dewatering of the mine is expected to commence in October. CEO Richard Williams expressed excitement about the progress, stating, "The commencement of wet commissioning at the South Crofty MWTP is another exciting step towards the dewatering of South Crofty Mine."
The South Crofty Mine is a historical, high-grade, underground tin mine that operated from the sixteenth century until 1998. The project has planning permission for underground mining, construction of a mine water treatment plant, new processing facilities, and all necessary site infrastructure. It also has an environmental permit to dewater the mine. South Crofty has the fourth-highest grade tin mineral resource globally and benefits from multiple shafts that can be used for future operations. Tin is considered a critical mineral, and South Crofty's responsible sourcing and security of supply are important factors in the energy transition and technology growth. The project has strong support from the local community and regional and national governments and could generate 250-300 direct jobs.
Cornish Metals is a dual-listed company focused on advancing the South Crofty Tin Project and exploring its additional mineral rights in Cornwall, UK. The former producing South Crofty tin mine closed in 1998 after over 400 years of continuous production. An updated Mineral Resource Estimate for South Crofty was completed in September 2023, indicating significant tin reserves in the lower and upper mine areas. The company plans to file an updated NI 43-101 Technical Report within 45 days of the September 13 news release.