West coast sand mine steps up production

A sand mining company in Lochaber is set to double its production and increase annual turnover by more than £2.6m.

Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited (LQS) has secured up to £230,000 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) towards the £855,000 costs of upgrading equipment on site.

The funding will enable the company to buy and install two wet magnetic separators, which are used to reduce the iron content of sand for use in the production of high-quality glass.

This will replace the current practice of washing the sand multiple times, a more time-consuming method of reducing the iron content. The increase in production will help meet market demand and improve business profitability.

LQS was established 2012 with the reopening of a closed sand mine. It is a joint venture between Italian mining group Minerali Industrali SRL and high-quality glass manufacturer, NSG (Parent of the Pilkington Group), the main buyer of the company’s sand.

It produces sand with an extremely high silica content, which is unique in the UK. The sand is used in ultra strong high-quality float glass, clear container glass and ceramics.  The company employs around 40 people in rural Lochaber with nearly £1m in salaries supporting the local economy.

HIE supported a £1m expansion of LQS in 2017, which created nine new jobs and strengthened the company’s market position.

Elaine Jones senior development manager with HIE’s Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross team said:

“We have worked with Lochaline Quartz Sand for several years now. The company has demonstrated strong profitable growth and is well-placed to achieve its ambitions for further growth.

“This latest initiative will provide further security for the business and its employees, while keeping to LQS’s environmental principles.

“I’m very pleased we’ve been able to provide support and look forward to seeing how the new investments benefit the business and enhance the contribution it makes to the local economy.”

Diego Zurolo, LQS CEO, said:

 “Running the only underground sand mine in Europe in a remote location like Lochaline can be challenging. In the past two years we have been exploring methods to make the quality of our sand more consistent at high production levels. The installation of the first set of magnetic separators (we will need a second set in the not-too-distant future) will secure our future for many years to come.  We are very grateful to Highlands and Islands Enterprise for their help in making this happen.”