Minister visits mines ahead of minerals strategy

The minister for industry has visited mining sites across Cornwall ahead of the government's strategy on minerals.

The Critical Minerals Strategy aims to create a secure domestic supply chain of minerals like graphite and tin, which are used in the production of electronics like mobile phones.

Industry Minister Sarah Jones said the purpose of visiting sites including Cornwall's South Crofty Tin Mine and Camborne School of Mines was to "really understand what the need is".

"There is huge potential here, we know that government has a role, we need to work out what the role is going forward," she said.

The need for critical minerals will be four times higher by 2040 due to their use in clean energy technologies, according to the policy paper for the strategy.

The paper describes the current supply chain of minerals to the UK as complex, volatile and dominated by China.

"In a changing world, it's never been so important to have strong supplies of critical minerals. Without them we can't have renewable energy, AI or a thriving car sector," said Jones.

"That's why we're working with industry to develop a landmark Critical Minerals Strategy that will the industries of tomorrow and deliver for business."

She added: "Seeing Cornwall's thriving mining cluster was vital to help me develop the new strategy which will deliver good jobs and a stronger economy."

At Camborne School of Mines, Jones met representatives from the University of Exeter to discuss the skills needed to the strategy.

Prof of Applied Mineralogy s Wall said she wanted to know the government targets and how they would be funded.

"If you want to be able to mine, to refine, use the metals and to recycle them and keep them in circulation, that will need some intervention in most cases from government," she said.

"The bottom line eventually, it will mean money as well as good will."

The government invested £28.6m in Cornwall's South Crofty Tin Mine in January as part of a £56m fundraising bid by its owners Cornish Metals to begin production within three years.

Chief executive of Cornish Metals, Don Turvey, said going forward it needed continued .

"We already have the permits in place to build the mine," he said.

"So from that perspective, if one wants to keep the tin in the country, that's a different discussion."

The government's Critical Mineral Strategy is due to be published later this year.

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