GRS to use Tungsten West’s mine waste as sustainable aggregate

Tungsten West is the operator of the Hemerdon tungsten-tin mine in Devon, UK, which was recently reopened. The company bought the mine – previously known as the Drakelands project – in November 2019 from previous owner Wolf Minerals, which called in administrators in October 2018.

GRS Group and Tungsten West’s venture, which is worth several million dollars, is to sell high-quality secondary aggregate and transport it nationwide by sea and rail. GRS noted that by-products arising from mining are widely rated as one of the most sustainable sources of construction aggregate, and that transportation by sea and rail produces a fraction of the carbon emissions of the equivalent road journeys.

Tungsten has numerous uses in electronics, manufacturing and an array of everyday objects as it is the hardest metal with the highest melting point. The Hemerdon mine is the world’s fourth largest tungsten reserve, and the second largest to comply with Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO) standards, as well as being Europe’s only source of tungsten which makes it internationally important.

However, mining tungsten also gives rise to thousands of tonnes of granite, which is an ideal material for a range of secondary aggregates such as bulk fill materials, single sizes for concrete and many other construction applications. GRS noted that by volume, aggregates represent the single biggest flow of materials in the UK economy.

GRS plans to use its existing freight network, particularly rail and marine, to transport the aggregate to construction projects across the south of England and potentially further afield. The company already transports secondary granite from the Cornish china clay industry into London by sea and rail, through its Cornish subsidiary Maen Karne and London-based business Walsh.

Starting this month, GRS intends to ramp-up secondary aggregate volumes from Hemerdon to distribute more than 1Mt/y for the next 10 years and beyond. The aggregate will be transported the short distance from Hemerdon to Plymouth via lorry, then loaded onto ships and transported to other ports around Britain. The aggregate will also be hauled a short distance by road to nearby Marsh Mills, which is located between Plymouth and Plympton, where it can be loaded onto trains for onward distribution via the rail network.

The granite aggregates themselves will be processed on site at Hemerdon, which will help to sustain several local jobs.

Jon Fisher, CEO of GRS Group, said: “This is a true symbiotic collaboration between two like-minded businesses with shared ambitions. Not only are we helping the UK to remain self-sufficient in essential minerals, but we’re also distributing them in the most sustainable way possible. GRS already trades and transports almost 20Mt of construction materials every year – around half of which is from recycled or secondary sources – and this deal reinforces our whole ethos to make the best use of the UK’s available resources.”

Max Denning, CEO of Tungsten West, commented: “Tungsten West is extremely excited to partner with GRS, especially as they’re the UK’s leading aggregates trading company with an exceptional reputation for success. By GRS applying their years of experience and success across all industry verticals within the construction materials sector, Tungsten West can offer a significant new mineral resource, at scale, to the UK market. GRS brings a wealth of experience, credibility and strategic thinking that complements our approach.”