In this episode, we chat to Max Denning, CEO & Director at Tungsten West who are restarting the World Class Hemerdon Tungsten-Tin Deposit located in South Devon, UK. They were incorporated in 2019 as a special purpose vehicle to purchase the Hemerdon Project out of receivership.
Max has over 10 years of experience in the mining sector mainly in commercial & finance, management consultancy and project delivery. He was previously GM Commercial & Finance of Pan African Minerals and now is in the hot seat at Tungsten West. In the podcast, he explains how things have moved forward since the operation was taken over from Wolf Minerals. They are looking to list on the AIM soon, so we discuss this plus why they decided to take on this exciting but challenging world-class operation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Demand for tungsten and tin is growing.
- For many applications, e.g., wind turbines there is no viable alternative to tungsten.
- Taking a slightly different approach to the production of the tungsten and tin is part of the reason this formerly unprofitable asset is now viable again.
- The plant has been updated. Using new technology will produce significant yield increases.
- The ore will be pre concentrated before sending it for processing. That means much higher yields.
- Tungsten West is now working more closely with the local community and, so far, have had a good response.
- The source of the noise issue that was a big problem for the community and former owners has been identified. Fortunately, there are several viable ways to solve that issue.
- The expectation is to be in full production at Hemerdon in 2022.
- Tungsten West is exploring other opportunities in the Southwest of the UK.
BEST MOMENTS
‘We have strong contacts. Specifically, in metallurgy, people who have a strong focus on Tungsten. ´
‘Now that the plant is in care and maintenance, we have been able to go in there and make the fundamental changes that are required.’
‘Tungsten is an enabling metal. Without tungsten, you don´t have many industries at all.’
EPISODE RESOURCES
Website - https://www.tungstenwest.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/tungsten-west-limited
Twitter - Tungsten West Ltd. (@TungstenWest) / Twitter
VALUABLE RESOURCES
mailto:rob@mining-international.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/
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https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org
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ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first world to third world countries from Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.
CONTACT METHOD
rob@mining-international.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/
Podcast Description
Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.
