July Cornish Mining Sundowner: news of progress at South Crofty

It was 25°C in Falmouth yesterday, ideal conditions for the well attended Cornish Mining Sundowner at the Chain Locker.

There was some talk of England's defensive retreat in their agonising World Cup semi-final 2-1 loss to Argentina on Wednesday and there was also news of progress in developing the South Crofty tin mine in Camborne. Front-End Engineering Design has been completed by Ausenco, and the project has moved into detailed engineering. This is a significant step before full construction.

Excavation for the pre-concentration plant is around 50% complete, with civil works expected to continue through 2026. The pre-concentration plant will remove waste rock by TOMRA sorters before ore enters the main processing circuit, reducing operating costs. Orders are being placed for long-lead equipment, and Cornish Metals Inc expects construction of the main processing facilities to follow the engineering work, with procurement continuing throughout 2026.

Paterson & Cooke is designing the paste backfill plant, which mixes mine tailings with binder so they can be pumped back underground. MEI is pleased to have this company as sponsors of Hydrometallurgy '27 and Flotation '27 in Cape Town.

The first commercial production at South Crofty is still targeted for mid-2028 and once fully operational, is expected to produce approximately 4,700 tonnes of tin in concentrate per year over an initial mine life of around 14 years, making it one of Europe's few primary tin producers.

The next Cornish Mining Sundowner is on Thursday August 20th, at the Chain Locker from 5.30pm.

MEIBlog