Gekko In Line Pressure Jigs at Hemerdon: flowsheet implications for process engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Tungsten West has appointed Duo Group as EPC contractor for a new-build crushing, screening and ore sorting plant at the Hemerdon tungsten-tin mine in Devon, and signed an agreement to deploy Gekko Systems’ In Line Pressure Jigs in the flowsheet. The project centres on upgrading run-of-mine ore through pre-concentration and sensor-based sorting ahead of jig-based gravity recovery, aiming to improve tungsten and tin yield from the existing open-pit resource. For process engineers, the move signals a flowsheet shift towards higher early-stage rejection of waste and lower downstream milling load.
Technical Brief
- Duo Group’s EPC scope covers design, supply and construction of the new crushing, screening and ore sorting plant.
- Gekko Systems’ In Line Pressure Jigs will be integrated as the primary gravity recovery unit for tungsten and tin.
- The Hemerdon restart plan hinges on refurbishing existing plant alongside the new-build pre-concentration facility.
- EPC appointment formalises a single-point responsibility for process performance, schedule integration and commissioning of the front-end plant.
- Gravity circuit selection around pressure jigs reduces reliance on fine grinding and high-energy downstream separation.
- Modular nature of Gekko’s jig units allows staged installation and potential future capacity debottlenecking at Hemerdon.
- Combining sensor-based sorting with jigging is likely to sharpen cut-off grade control and extend open-pit mine life.
- Similar UK hard-rock projects may reference Hemerdon’s flowsheet as a template for brownfield tungsten-tin restarts.
Our Take
Tungsten features in far fewer of the 1,037 Mining stories in our database than bulk commodities, so Hemerdon’s progress is notable for UK and European buyers seeking to diversify away from dominant Chinese supply.
As a UK project in Devon, Hemerdon sits in a permitting and social-licence environment that is generally more restrictive than many tungsten and tin jurisdictions, which tends to favour low-impact gravity equipment such as Gekko Systems’ jigs over more energy- and reagent-intensive options.
Combining tungsten and tin at a single mine gives Tungsten West optionality across two specialty metals that often move on different price cycles, which can help smooth revenue volatility once Hemerdon is back in steady-state operation.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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