Tungsten West plc has produced its first tungsten concentrate during a processing trial at Hemerdon mine in Devon.
STRATEGIC
The company said that the trial was part of a programme to test and optimise key sections of the mineral processing facility.
Work will also de-risk operations and collect technical data for the restart of full-scale production.
Chief executive officer Jeff Court added: “The progress we are making in this processing trial is an important milestone in restarting operations at Hemerdon and provides confidence to our neighbours, the Environment Agency, our investors and off-takers that we are moving towards production.
“We have ensured that all activities throughout this trial have been conducted to high environmental and operational standards.
“As the need for a diversified source of tungsten intensifies, Hemerdon becomes an even more important strategic asset.”