A new UK mining research centre is to be set up near Falmouth in Cornwall, funded by a £4.5 million government grant.
Based at Exeter University’s Penryn campus, the new centre will focus on green and critical metal extraction especially securing new sources of these minerals.
Cornwall Resources (CRL), part of Strategic Minerals, Petrolab and Geolorn, will contribute to the new centre alongside Cornwall Council and other South-West local government and organisations
Professor Frances Wall, lead investigator for the Centre said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to focus on helping our industry colleagues accelerate all the businesses in the region related to critical minerals.”
Each new mine in the region will employ 200-350 staff in high-value jobs that are much needed, and as many as five times the number of indirect jobs, she added.
South-west England and Cornwall have six active exploration and development companies.
Peter Wale, a director at CRL, said: "I congratulate the University of Exeter on advancing through a competitive application and selection process and in securing this significant UKRI investment.
“This funding is a further acknowledgement of the southwest's position at the forefront of the UK's domestic critical minerals industry.”