Innovative pumps are playing a pivotal role in decontaminating mine water at Cornish Metals' newly opened water treatment plant.

A fleet of eight Bredel 40 hose pumps and three Qdos chemical metering and dosing pumps have been installed at the South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall, leading the charge in treating eight million cubic metres of flooded water.

In the wake of ceasing tin production back in 1998, Cornish Metals has a grand vision of reopening the South Crofty mine in Pool by 2026.

However, before tin extraction can recommence, the flooded mine water needs treatment to meet the Environment Agency's standards.

After the water gets treated, it is discharged into the Red River at a daily rate of up to 25,000 cubic meters.

Falmouth Packet: Cornish Metals aims to reopen the South Crofty mine by 2026

South Crofty Project Manager at Cornish Metals, Steven Kingstone, said: "We are lucky in Cornwall to have a number of suppliers such as Watson-Marlow, producing high-quality equipment that we can utilise in the reconstruction of South Crofty mine.

"This highlights the importance that we place on buying local where we can, which ensures that the reopening of South Crofty benefits the local population and economy as much as possible.

"As the site develops, we look forward to continuing to work with Watson-Marlow."

The durable Bredel hose pumps contribute significantly to the decontamination procedure — transferring sludge, and pumping it into a tank for thickening.

The Qdos pump plays an equally instrumental role by dosing hydrogen peroxide to oxidise the contaminated metals in the mine water, precipitating out iron and arsenic.

By 2030, the world will need an additional 50,000 tonnes of tin each year due to the increasing demand.

Cornish Metals confirms that South Crofty hosts the fourth highest grade tin mineral resource globally.

It's a strategic location considering there is no primary tin production in Europe or North America.

The underlying objective behind the establishment of this water treatment plant is to minimise South Crofty's impact on the environment.

Before the treatment plant began operations, the Red River received untreated mine water due to past mining activities.

Moving forward, a cleaner and healthier Red River will not only benefit the locals and wildlife, but also power a hydro-turbine that generates up to 15% of the power consumed by the plant.