5 March marks the annual celebration of St Piran’s Day in Cornwall, UK. St Piran was a 5th-century Cornish abbot believed to have discovered tin. The discovery reportedly came from a black rock leaking a white liquid on his fire, which is believed to have inspired the Cornish flag. This discovery gained him the honour in history as the patron saint of tin miners.

Historically, the UK was a world-leading tin producer, with most of its mining activity concentrated in Cornwall and Devon. The Cornubian orefield, which had been mined since before the Bronze Age, was host to wide-scale cassiterite (tin) and copper mining, alongside some smaller arsenic, zinc, and silver production.

During this time, the Chalcolithic people discovered that adding tin to molten copper resulted in an alloy. This alloy, known as bronze, became widely used due to its durability, revolutionising many aspects of daily life. From farming and construction tools to weapons, statues, and infrastructure, bronze played a crucial role in shaping early civilisation. So significant was its impact that it gave its name to an entire period—the Bronze Age—marking the transition from the Stone Age and Copper Age to a more advanced technological period. As a result, tin became highly sought after in developed regions, and Britain, with its abundant tin deposits, emerged as an important source of the metal.

The region became renowned for its mining prowess, which led to the formation of the Camborne School of Mines in 1888. The industry ran strong, and the reputation of Cornish mining talent went global. Many miners left Cornwall after the 1866 copper price crash, which came alongside depleting resources and led to miners heading to more prosperous lands to mine globally.

The Cornish mining heritage has been instrumental in shaping the globe, with miners even being drafted into tunnelling companies during WW1, where they were incentivised with double the pay they would have received in the mines.

Although some may argue that the best outcome of this mining heritage is the Cornish pasty, which was designed as a hearty meal for mine workers.

South Crofty

It is estimated that from the 1700s until the closure of the last operating mine, South Crofty, in 1998, the UK produced around 2Mt of tin. Following the closure of South Crofty, tin production in the UK was minimal. There was a brief period of tin concentrate production at Hemerdon Mine (Drakelands Mine) in the mid-2010s and again in 2023, but no major primary tin mining operations remain active today. Most former mining sites have either been converted into museums or placed under care and maintenance.

However, there is renewed interest in reviving tin mining in Cornwall. Several projects, including Great Wheal Vor, Redmoor, and South Crofty, are under development.

The South Crofty tin project – a flagship asset for Cornwall

Cornish Metals is a mineral exploration and development company focused on reviving tin mining in Cornwall, UK. Through its South Crofty tin mine project, it is leading efforts to bring mining projects in the region into production within the next few years, possibly as early as 2027.

The company recently announced a £56M (US$70M) fundraising initiative, with £28.6M (US$36.3M) contributed by the UK’s National Wealth Fund (NWF) (the new government entity replacing the UK Infrastructure Bank) to support the revitalisation of South Crofty.

Meanwhile, Cornish Metals was particularly active in 2024, making several key financial announcements. October proved to be a pivotal month. First, on 9 October, the company announced the appointment of Endeavour Financial as its financial adviser to secure project financing for the construction of South Crofty. Second, and significantly, on 16 October, Cornish Metals announced that it had entered into a non-dilutive £7M (US$9M) credit facility agreement with substantial shareholder Vision Blue Resources. This marked Vision Blue Resources’ second investment in Cornish Metals, following a £25M (US$32M) strategic investment in 2022, which funded the dewatering program, a feasibility study, and other project developments.

Tin’s importance

Tin boasts a low melting point, high conductivity, and strong bonding properties, making it an essential material for electronics and electrical appliances, PVC, automotive, renewable energy, and food storage and packaging. While tin–copper alloys were historically the primary use of the metal, soldering has become its dominant application in recent times. According to Project Blue, global tin consumption reached almost 370kt in 2024, with approximately 50% of demand attributed to solder.

Solder plays a critical role in bonding metals, particularly in the electrical and electronics sector, where it connects components such as processing chips, resistors, and transmitters to circuit boards. Given the scale of this industry and the lack of viable substitutes for tin in solder, its importance in the market remains undeniable. Traditionally, lead-based solders (60% tin and 40% lead) were the industry standard. However, lead-free solder gained widespread adoption following the EU’s ban on hazardous substances in the early 2000s.

The ongoing digital transformation, expansion of data centres, and improvements in wireless connectivity will continue to drive demand for tin. Beyond electronics, tin solder has seen notable growth in the renewable energy sector, particularly as a coating material for tinned copper solar ribbons used in solar panels. Project Blue estimates that 34kt of tin was consumed for this purpose alone last year.

Beyond soldering, tin also plays a key role in lead–acid batteries and (more recently) sodium-ion batteries, in which it serves as an anode material. With its unique properties and diverse applications, tin remains a critical material in modern technology.

The resurgence of tin mining in the UK is of both economic and cultural significance. According to Project Blue, tin demand is projected to grow at a CAGR of 1.9% from 2024 to 2050, with its critical role in key industries underscoring the importance of securing domestic supply. Beyond economics, the revival of South Crofty symbolises a return to Cornwall’s rich mining heritage, reigniting local pride and economic potential. As the region embraces this resurgence, it stands to reclaim its role as a strategic Western player in the global tin market.