Hemerdon tungsten and tin project officially opened

Wolf Minerals open first new metal mine in Great Britain for 45 years at Drakelands in Devon

SPECIALTY metals development company Wolf Minerals Ltd yesterday celebrated a defining milestone in the UK’s mining industry with the official opening of the Drakelands mine at the company’s Hemerdon tungsten and tin project on the edge of Dartmoor, near Plymouth, in Devon.

The official opening ceremony, held on site at Drakelands, was attended by more 200 local and international guests and dignitaries, including the Australian High Commissioner to the UK, The Hon Alexander Downer AC, representatives from the local community, UK government, regulators, customers and shareholders, all of whom have played key roles in the successful delivery of the project.

David Fursdon, HM’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, and John Hopkins, chairman of Wolf Minerals (left of photo), unveiled a plaque to officially open the project.

Addressing the attendees, Russell Clark, managing director of Wolf Minerals, said: ‘Since 2007, the company has been working to make the Hemerdon tungsten and tin project a reality. Development of the Drakelands mine has only been possible with the hard work and enthusiasm of the project and management teams, the support of local communities and assistance from many agencies and the local authorities.

‘The successful financing, development and construction of this world-scale project marks the realization of the company’s goal of building and operating the first new metal mine in Great Britain for 45 years, and becoming a significant producer of tungsten.

‘Wolf have invested more than £140 million into the project and have created more than 200 permanent jobs, with many more involved during construction. The mine is expected to make a substantial contribution to the Plymouth, Devon and UK economies over the next decade.

‘Everyone involved is incredibly proud of this achievement and I hope that the successful delivery of this project proves to be a catalyst for a wider renaissance of metal mining in the UK.’

The official opening ceremony comes only 18 months since construction of the Drakelands mine site began in March 2014. At its peak, more than 600 people were involved and construction of the project was completed on schedule in June 2015.

Devon County Council leader John Hart said: ‘There is a long heritage of mining and quarrying in this part of the county, and to mine one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits will have a positive impact on the local and regional economy, which is good for jobs and the prosperity of Devon.

‘It has taken some time for this project to come to fruition and the County Council has worked closely with Wolf Minerals to ensure the infrastructure and modern environmental controls required for the project are in place.’

Business Minister Anna Soubry said: ‘This is an important and exciting day for this ambitious project and represents the culmination of lots of hard work, planning and investment. The new mine has created over 200 skilled jobs, from geologists to engineers, mining surveyors and truck drivers, and can provide a welcome boost for the local economy.’

At full capacity, Drakelands Mine is expected to be one of the largest tungsten concentrate producers in the Western World.