Almonty Industries is expanding its current environmental, social and governance (ESG) program to include its continued target of carbon neutrality for the Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea.

The Canadian-based producer said that a third-party report will be completed in the coming three months that will analyse the mine’s carbon footprint as well as recommend how to best minimise it.

“Given the energy from the grid supplied to the Sangdong project is 100% renewable, the company has a unique opportunity to push towards carbon neutrality at our Korean site.”

Chairman, President and CEO Lewis Black said that it has become even more important that the company continually review and develop its ESG program, which he says “sits perfectly in line” with the equator principles from which Sangdong was constructed.

Carbon neutrality at Sangdong is potentially achievable, he said, once the mine’s underground electric fleets can maintain a charge over an entire shift. That, he added, could be possible within the next 18 months.

“We are extremely fortunate that 100% of our energy comes from a renewable source, making the target of carbon neutrality achievable.”

In addition to Sangdong, Almonty also mines tungsten concentrate from the Los Santos mine in western Spain and the Panasqueira mine in Portugal. It also is developing the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in northwestern Spain.

Sangdong, according to the company, was previously one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China. It was acquired by the miner in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining.