Cornish Metals starts commissioning mine water treatment plant

Explorer and developer Cornish Metals announced the start of the wet commissioning process for its mine water treatment plant (MWTP) at the South Crofty Tin Project in Cornwall on Thursday.

The AIM-traded firm said the newly constructed MWTP was designed to treat up to 25,000 cubic metres of water per day, sourced directly from the South Crofty Mine.

To ensure the purification of raw mine water, the plant integrated high-density sludge (HDS) process technology.

The board explained that methodology was essential for the company to meet its discharge standards into the nearby Red River.

Cornish Metals collaborated with several stakeholders, including the plant designer, equipment suppliers, and contractors, for the successful and comprehensive testing and commissioning of the entire process.

The primary aim was to meticulously examine every aspect of the process before allowing the treated water to flow into the Red River.

Cornish Metals said the establishment and commissioning of the high-density sludge bed was projected to span around three weeks, after which it expected to initiate complete dewatering of the mine by October.

“The commencement of wet commissioning at the South Crofty MWTP is another exciting step towards the dewatering of South Crofty Mine,” said chief executive officer Richard Williams.

“Our project team, supported by a small army of dedicated local contractors, has worked extremely hard over the last 12 months to take the MWTP from a conceptual flowsheet design to a fully constructed plant.”

At 1438 BST, shares in Cornish Metals were up 0.67% at 11.32p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.