A mining company has been given permission to start an exploratory dig at Cornwall’s abandoned Great Wheal Vor.
The mine was at one time described as "the richest in tin of all the Cornish mines, probably the richest tin mine which has ever been worked in the world". But work stopped at the group of 26 former mines near Breage in the late 1870s..
However, now Cornish Tin Ltd, a Cornwall-based mineral exploration company, has rights to explore for and extract minerals and aggregates including tin, lithium, copper, tungsten and geothermal energy on the site near Helston.
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Historic production grades at Great Wheal Vor were very high, averaging about 3% tin, and peaking at more than 5.5% tin. Even assuming a current production grade of only 2% tin this would be one of the top three tin mines by grade in the world, if mined today.
Cornish Tin has now been granted planning consent for its Phase 1 exploration drilling programme. This will be a six-month programme of 33 diamond drill holes from 26 drill sites.
Cornwall Council’s Mineral Planning Authority has granted consent, although there has been concern raised by some nearby residents. Cornish Tin is promising no pneumatic or percussive drilling is planned, and no blasting is involved.
Extensive work has been carried out by and on behalf of the company to ensure that the natural environment is protected, including adoption of measures under an Ecological Impact Assessment by Cornish firm Plan for Ecology.
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Consent was applied for and has been granted under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development ) (England) Order 2015.
Sally Norcross-Webb, chief executive of Cornish Tin, said: “After five years of painstaking geological research, work on environmental protection and securing mineral rights, Cornish Tin now has the go-ahead to open up for exploration one of the most important mining areas in Europe.
"Since closure 150 years ago, no-one has been able to put together the necessary mineral rights to take the project forward, until now.”
Cornish Tin, which plans to achieve net zero carbon status, is hoping to be at the forefront of Cornwall's return to mining. Ms Norcross-Webb said: "Cornwall is still one of the poorest regions in Europe, but with further investment in our minerals sector Cornwall could level up and retake its place as Europe’s leading tin producer. With Cornwall as a thriving hub of sustainably produced minerals, thousands of direct and indirect jobs would be created.
"The accepted ratio in the minerals sector is that for each one 'direct' job in the minerals industry, four 'indirect' jobs result, for example in the services, repair, engineering, transport, environmental and many other sectors, including as subcontractors or suppliers.
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"Global demand for tin is fast outstripping supply. Tin is already listed as a critical resource by the US and China, and the tin price recently hit a 10-year high, with physical stocks globally at a 30-year low."
Ms Norcross-Webb added: “We have a once in a lifetime opportunity now for Cornwall, with its unique geological riches, to retake its place as Europe’s leading tin producer.”
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