UK Backs Hemerdon Tungsten Mine Restart
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The UK Government is taking a major step to strengthen domestic tungsten supply with a new investment in the Hemerdon tungsten and tin mine in Devon, England.
On August 25, 2026, the UK National Wealth Fund announced an investment of up to £71 million in Tungsten West, the company developing the Hemerdon project. The funding includes a £36 million equity investment and up to £35 million in lending to support construction, commissioning, and processing activities required to restart the mine.
The investment is intended to support the return of Hemerdon to production and establish a more secure domestic source of tungsten for the UK. The agreement also gives the UK Government an exclusive negotiation period for the right to procure up to 50% of the mine's annual tungsten production, based on the project's 2025 feasibility study.
Why Tungsten Supply Matters
Tungsten is classified as a critical mineral in the UK because of its importance to industries including aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing, and next-generation energy technologies. Its high melting point, density, hardness, and performance at elevated temperatures make tungsten difficult to replace in many demanding applications.
The Hemerdon project is therefore more than a conventional mining restart. It is part of a broader effort to strengthen the resilience of critical mineral supply chains.
Tungsten West has already produced tungsten and tin concentrates during recent testing activities. The company has been working toward phased production during 2026, with full project commissioning targeted for 2027.
A Wider Shift in Critical Mineral Supply
The Hemerdon investment reflects a broader change in how governments are approaching critical minerals.
For many years, manufacturers and material buyers could focus primarily on price, specification, and delivery time. Supply-chain security is now becoming an additional consideration, particularly for materials used in aerospace, defence, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
Developing domestic mining capacity is one approach. Governments and industrial companies are also looking at alternative sources, processing capacity, long-term supply agreements, and greater diversification of international suppliers.
For tungsten users, these developments are worth watching because changes at the raw material level can eventually influence the availability, lead times, and sourcing strategies of downstream tungsten products.
What This Means for Industrial Buyers
The restart of Hemerdon will not immediately change the global tungsten supply structure. The project still needs to progress through commissioning and production ramp-up before reaching steady-state output. Tungsten West currently targets full commissioning in the first quarter of 2027 and steady-state production later in 2027.
For engineers and procurement teams, the more important point is the direction of the market.
Critical metals such as tungsten are increasingly being treated as strategic industrial materials rather than ordinary commodities. As new mining projects, government-backed investments, and alternative supply chains develop, buyers may pay greater attention to supplier stability, material traceability, production capability, and long-term availability.
The Hemerdon restart is one recent example of this changing approach to critical mineral supply.
As global industries continue to invest in aerospace, energy, semiconductor equipment, and advanced manufacturing, developments in tungsten supply will remain an important part of the wider critical minerals market.
