Could the UK Become a Leading Supplier of Tungsten?

The Redmoor Tungsten-Tin-Copper project involved Europe's highest grade undeveloped tungsten deposit. 

Around the world, mining companies are developing further explorations of their resources in order to unlock full potential and develop strong mineral supply chains.

Redmoor may have become a key player in the minerals race, following the revelation of larger deposits than previously thought.

The critical minerals game

The original Redmoor Mine opened in the 18th century and operated until 1892, when low tin prices forced it to close. Sections periodically reopened in coming 40 years.

Cornwall Resources is currently undergoing exploration of the area and is permitted to commercially extract the minerals. At Redmoor, tungsten and tin-oxide occur in lodes and discrete veins. Over the years, it has undergone significant exploration, but recent surveys by Strategic Minerals has described a "transformational uplift" in production capability. 

Strategic Minerals is an AIM-quoted minerals explorer and producer, with a primary exploration focus on the Redmoor Tungsten-Tin-Copper Project in Cornwall, UK. It acquired the mine in 2019, given its significance as a high-grade polymetallic tungsten project. The project demonstrated strong growth potential ans highly profitable economics – which now look even more readily available.

The company aims to develop Redmoor and its surrounding areas into a leading source of critical minerals, aiding a strength to western supply chains. According to Strategic Minerals, Redmoor has the potential to supply 30% of Europe's tungsten needs, alongside additional tin and copper. 

Tungsten is used in advanced manufacturing, defence applications filaments and sporting equipment. It is a hard and dense metal with the highest melting point of all metals. 

At present, China is the leading producer and supplier of tungsten, but supply chain concerns and trade tensions over recent years have had countries looking to diversify their sourcing or further explore their own operational capabilities. 

New findings

Redmoor is held by Strategic Minerals' Cornwall Resources subsidiary, with the focus of advancing the world-class, high-grade polymetallic project. In 2025, Strategic Minerals began an exploration programme of the mine, supported by match grant funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It is now aiming to advance Redmoor to a Preliminary Feasibility Study stage.

Recent findings suggest a positive result for the company, with plans to reopen having found significantly larger deposits of the metal. Its growth in production capability leads Strategic Minerals to estimate the base case valuation of the project at £1.15bn (US$1.54bn).

In a released statement, Strategic Minerals reports 100% Inferred MRE of 17.4 MT at 0.65% Tungsten Trioxide Equivalent. This is a 49% increase in tonnage compared to the previous MRE released in 2019. It also represents a 2.4x increase in potential mine life, growing from 12 years to 29. 

As well as being a significant step for tungsten supply chains, this is also a step towards Cornwall's ambitions of becoming a leading region for metal mining. 

There has also been increases in contained metals, including a 31% increase in contained tungsten trioxide, 55% increase in contained tin and a 30% increase in contained copper, as well as findings of silver.

"The significant increases in tonnages, contained tungsten and other metals, and the inclusion of silver have provided a transformational uplift in Redmoor's MRE," explains Mark Burnett, Strategic Minerals' Executive Director.

"The Company will now rapidly progress to prefeasibility study ("PFS") to test these new production scenarios and optimise the model. Redmoor is Europe's highest grade, undeveloped, tungsten resource compared to other CRIRSCO-compliant projects, and amongst the highest grade globally.

"The Company is committed to advancing Redmoor at pace, with today's results highlighting the contained metal potential of the Project. A fully funded infill drilling campaign to increase resource confidence for the conversion of inferred to indicated mineral resources is commencing and expected to scale up before the summer through the addition of more drill rigs, with the Company fully focussed on the delivery of the PFS work programme."

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Future outlooks

On 31 March, 2026, Strategic Minerals initiated resource infill drilling as part of the study at Redmoor. It is part of eight planned holes to be drilled, with a timeline across six months. The aim is to accelerate Redmoor's development programme, particularly in such a critical period for developing resilient supply chains.

As global supply chains around the worlds reshape, this Cornish mine could find itself strategically positioned to be a crucial part of western resilience. Increasing demand for minerals – including tungsten – has prices at a distinct high. As a result, Redmoor is placing itself as a potentially viable partner, particularly with the increase of modern drilling techniques.