The British company Tungsten West plans to start the phased resumption and commissioning of the Hemerdon tungsten-tin mine in Devon County later this month.
The company has maintained the previously announced schedule. The re-operation of the fine-grain separation circuit and downstream processing facilities is scheduled for the third quarter, followed by the commissioning of the coarse-grain separation circuit in the fourth quarter. The entire project is expected to be fully commissioned by the first quarter of 2027.
In February this year, Tungsten West stated that the company aims to produce 2,500 tons of tungsten concentrate in the first year of operation and increase it to 3,100 tons in the second year. The production of tin concentrate is expected to increase from 500 tons in the first year to 600 tons in the second year.
China supplies approximately 80% of the world's tungsten products. The production quotas implemented by China in February 2025 and the expansion of export control on some tungsten products have led to further tightening of tungsten concentrate supply in the European market and exacerbated the ongoing global supply shortage over the past year.
The latest assessment by Agence France-Presse on Tuesday shows that the price of tungsten concentrate in Europe is $2,400 - $2,700 per ton (delivery at the Rotterdam warehouse), having risen more than sixfold compared to a year ago. The price of APT (ammonium tungstate) in Europe is $2,950 - $3,250 per ton (untaxed), also having risen more than sixfold compared to a year ago. The increase in raw material costs and limited supply has driven the prices to continue rising.
