The United Kingdom is making steady progress in rebuilding its domestic critical minerals industry, with two flagship mining projects moving closer to production. Cornish Metals’ South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall and Tungsten West’s Hemerdon tungsten-tin project in Devon are emerging as key assets in the country’s strategy to strengthen secure supplies of strategically important raw materials.
While both developments aim to restore historic mining operations, they are progressing along different paths. South Crofty represents a long-term redevelopment project backed by extensive engineering work and favorable tin market fundamentals, whereas Hemerdon is focused on restarting production from an existing mine under a revised operational model supported by fresh financing.
South Crofty benefits from strong construction progress and high tin prices
Cornish Metals continues to report significant milestones at the South Crofty project, one of Europe’s most closely watched tin developments. Recent construction work has included the completion of surface civil engineering activities at the Roskear Shaft, ongoing construction of the new winder house, and near completion of a modern workshop and storage complex. Engineering also advanced with Ausenco completing the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for the future processing plant.
Underground development is also progressing. The mine’s commissioned 195-level pump station has enabled dewatering operations to continue, while development work at the 25 level is moving forward as planned, bringing the historic underground workings closer to full rehabilitation.
The improving outlook for global tin markets has further strengthened the project’s economics. According to Cornish Metals, the current tin price of approximately US$53,000 per tonne increases the estimated net present value (NPV) at a 6% discount rate to around £500 million when calculated using prevailing spot prices.
The company expects another series of important construction milestones over the next 18 months. Mechanical installation of the mine winder is scheduled for the second half of 2026, dewatering is expected to reach the 400 level during the first half of 2027, and pre-production underground development at the 290 level is now anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Strategic importance extends beyond the UK mining sector
South Crofty has become increasingly important not only because of its commercial potential but also because of its role in strengthening Western critical-mineral supply chains.
Tin remains an essential material for the global electronics industry, where it is widely used in solder for semiconductors, circuit boards and electronic components. As governments seek to reduce dependence on concentrated overseas supply chains, secure domestic tin production has become a growing strategic priority.
International interest in the project reflects that trend. Earlier this year, reports indicated that the U.S. Export-Import Bank had expressed interest in providing financing of up to US$225 million, subject to future mine production supporting U.S. critical-mineral supply requirements.
The UK government has also demonstrated its commitment to the project through a previous £28.6 million investment, highlighting a broader policy shift that increasingly views tin as a strategically important industrial resource rather than simply another base metal.
Hemerdon moves closer to restarting tungsten production
While South Crofty focuses on long-term redevelopment, Tungsten West is pursuing a faster route back into production at the Hemerdon tungsten-tin mine. The company announced in April that it intends to restart fines gravity processing during the third quarter of 2026, with commissioning of the complete processing plant expected to begin from the first quarter of 2027. To support the restart, Tungsten West secured a £22.3 million mining equipment financing package while simultaneously advancing due diligence for a larger debt financing package worth up to US$85 million.
Additional financial backing followed in May when the company entered into a binding US$25 million short-term bridge loan facility provided by an entity controlled by major shareholder Gregory Coffey. According to the company, the bridge financing will fund operations through the initial restart phase planned for the third quarter of 2026 while documentation for the larger US$85 million debt facility has been finalized following completion of final-stage due diligence.
Different development paths, shared strategic significance
Although both projects are central to Britain’s critical-minerals ambitions, they face different operational challenges. South Crofty remains focused on completing extensive dewatering activities, engineering works, mine reconstruction and financing before commercial production can begin. Its success depends largely on executing a complex redevelopment program while maintaining project schedules and capital discipline.
Hemerdon, by contrast, must demonstrate that a previously underperforming mining operation can achieve reliable production under an updated operating strategy. Success will depend on stable plant performance, operational efficiency and the strength of the global tungsten market.
Execution will determine the success of the UK’s mining revival
Together, South Crofty and Hemerdon represent the strongest evidence yet that the United Kingdom is rebuilding a domestic critical minerals industry capable of supporting both industrial demand and supply-chain security.
Investor confidence will ultimately depend less on the broader critical-minerals narrative and more on measurable execution. Markets will closely monitor financing completion, construction progress, commissioning performance, processing recoveries, operating costs and long-term offtake agreements as the projects move toward commercial production.
If both developments meet their operational targets, they could become cornerstone assets in the UK’s effort to re-establish itself as a significant European supplier of strategically important minerals while strengthening resilient supply chains for advanced manufacturing and clean technologies.
