Cornwall’s mining scene is set for revitalisation as a mining conference highlighted the new potential for mineral extraction.

Hosted by Cornish Lithium, the first Investment Opportunities in Cornish Mining conference was held over two days at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and featured presentations from organisations including Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall Chamber of Mines & Minerals, Benchmark Minerals and many others.

Jeremy Wrathall, CEO of Cornish Lithium, said: “Interest in exploration and mining in Cornwall is undergoing a significant revival given emerging opportunities to extract key battery metals, such as lithium and cobalt, in addition to the more traditional tin and copper.

“Cornwall is one of the top metallogenic provinces in the world and with the strong support of Cornwall Council, the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership and UK Government, the county is uniquely placed to help secure domestic supplies of, and meet the global demand for, these precious metals of the future.”

The increased demand for metals such as tungsten, nickel, lithium and cobalt is in line with the increased demand for batteries used in computing, automotive and other high-tech industries.

Without wanting to import these metals from other countries, it is thought that Cornwall’s mining industry could see a renaissance, if appropriate levels of investment are put in place.