Tungsten West (AIM:TUN), owner and operator of the Hemerdon tungsten and tin mine in Devon, said processing operations have begun at the site, with ore now passing through the plant.
The milestone was marked during a site visit by Oliver Holbourn, chief executive of the National Wealth Fund, which committed £71 million less than two weeks ago to fund the mine's restart.
Hemerdon is one of the world's largest known tungsten deposits, a critical mineral used in aerospace, defence, semiconductors and clean energy applications.
The company will now progressively ramp up operations toward targeted steady-state production.
"Hemerdon entering production is a landmark moment for Tungsten West and represents the culmination of an enormous effort by our team and partners to bring this strategically important mine back into operation," said Jeff Court, chief executive of Tungsten West.
Holbourn said the National Wealth Fund's investment aims to secure a domestic tungsten supply and bring jobs to local communities, adding that "Tungsten West is delivering on the first step in that ambition."
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds said the mine is "already helping to create jobs, increase productivity and drive growth across the South West."
Attention now turns to the pace of the ramp-up as Hemerdon works toward becoming a steady supplier of tungsten concentrate to UK and international customers.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Tungsten West has begun processing ore at Hemerdon, weeks after securing £71 million from the National Wealth Fund—a decisive step toward steady production at one of the world's largest tungsten deposits. The company is now in the ramp-up phase toward its Q1 2027 full commissioning target, having already commenced fines gravity operations in early September.
Processing start validates the restart pathway and de-risks the near-term commissioning schedule. Execution now hinges on the pace of ramp-up and tungsten market conditions; the company remains pre-revenue and dependent on reaching steady-state production to justify the National Wealth Fund's backing.
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